It was April 2020; the early days of what felt like the world shutting down. Companies, large and small, were all trying to figure out how to respond to the newly announced global pandemic. What to say. Where to go from here. How to bring comfort to not just customers, but everyone.
It seemed everywhere you turned you heard or saw a message from a brand saying something like, “we’re in this together” or using words like “unprecedented, challenging and uncertain times.” But the Caterpillar Energy & Transportation (E&T) team decided to take a head-on approach and be honest about what people were feeling. And they took this opportunity instead to simply say, “thank you.” Not just to their customers who continued to build toward a better tomorrow, but to people everywhere who were digging in, working hard and giving us hope — the essential workers who are the heroes on the front lines every day.
At a time when the market was crowded with Covid response videos, Caterpillar E&T’s response video not only consoled the viewer but caught the attention of The Telly Awards, winning a bronze award in the category of Corporate Image for Branded Marketing.
“It’s not very often that we get the opportunity to send out a thank you message that’s nothing more than that — a heartfelt and sincere thank you. At Caterpillar, we’re passionate about what we do, but this video message was urgent and more important than our usual marketing messages,” said Kristi Turner, Sr. Parts & Services Marketing Consultant for Caterpillar’s Remanufacturing Division. “While many of us were working safely at home, this project let us focus on recognizing essential workers in every energy & transportation sector. It was our way to let them know that Caterpillar saw them and appreciated them,” she added.
About the Telly Awards
The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, these awards receive over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and 5 different continents.
