Case Studies
Explore how The Auxiliary team has helped brands like Johnnie Walker, Michelin, and Lululemon navigate the complexities of modern marketing with our alchemical approach to creativity and strategy.
Albany Public Housing Authority
The Challenge: How can up-to-date public health information compete with celebrity gossip and fake news in a social media marketplace optimized for engagement?
The Alchemical Solution: Create an alternative to social media where public housing residents can get relevant, up-to-date public health information—and market the platform using existing networks of trust and culture.
Our Role: The Auxiliary pitched, researched, and produced the video, campaign, and press strategy.
Johnnie Walker
The Challenge: Most US Johnnie Walker drinkers are Hispanic. How can a Scottish whiskey brand appeal to this growing market while relaying its core value of persistence?
The Alchemical Solution: Tell an inspiring story about a group of friends who persistently use art to change the way we see borders.
Our Role: As a story researcher and video producer at VIRTUE, Imran researched and associate-produced the video and campaign.
The Creative:
Michelin
The Challenge: How can Michelin show its customers that investing in high-quality tires represents an act of care?
The Alchemical Solution: Bring together the nation’s largest nightly mobile soup kitchen, the Grand Central Food Program, and Michelin Star Chef Carlo Mirachi to deliver meals and hope to New Yorkers amidst the worst food and homelessness crisis since the Great Depression.
As a result of Imran’s idea, Michelin bought GCFP a new truck. 200+ more New Yorkers get a hot meal every day as a result.
Our Role: As a junior creative at VIRTUE, Imran concepted, developed and produced the video and campaign.
Lululemon
The Challenge: How can a women’s yoga pants company break into the competitive market for men’s sweatpants?
The Alchemical Solution: Use the launch of Lululemon’s first men’s clothing line to showcase modern masculinity with the inspiring example of Ibn Ali Miller, who went viral for using his words to stop a fight between two angry young men.
Our Role: As a junior creative at VIRTUE, Imran concepted, casted, and produced the video and campaign.
Lululemon Men CommercialNever had a conversation with my father, but I heard he was a good man. Even though Umi couldn't show me, Alhamdulillah, I'm at least happy that she told me how to be a man. #lovetheorphan -Ibn Ali
Posted by Ibn Ali Miller on Monday, October 2, 2017
Agents of Influence
The Challenge: Alterea founder Anahita Dalmia needed a genius visa to stay in the United States, but major press outlets weren’t covering her new immersive theater company amid a global pandemic.
The Alchemical Solution: Encourage Anahita to make immersive Zoom theater educating people to recognize and combat disinformation, understanding that it’s the driving force behind the worst and most unique crisis in our lifetime.
Our Role: The Auxiliary concepted the idea behind Agents of Influence, and provided strategy and creative consultation throughout development.
Hackathons
The Challenge: Doctors are experts in medical science, but not necessarily in public communication. In order to minimize the damage of a pandemic in an age of unprecedented misinformation, we need both. How can we leverage our network to solve communications problems for public health professionals?
The Alchemical Solution: Bring together the most creative artists, marketers, misinformation experts, and medical professionals in our network to develop diverse messages targeting those most susceptible to misinformation.
Our Role: The Auxiliary ideated and organized the hackathons, mentored teams, and championed the creative to social media platforms.
The Creative:
AdHoc Projects
The Challenge: How can NYC’s biggest indie music booking company survive a pandemic and an industry dominated by monopolies?
The Alchemical Solution: Offer creative services that connect brands directly to the creative minds that brought Frank Ocean his first NYC show and Grimes her SXSW debut.
Our Role: The Auxiliary provided business development, brand strategy, user experience, copywriting, and client acquisition services.
The Jin-Hafiz Disinformation Index
The Challenge: The Auxiliary is building systemic solutions to address misinformation, but there’s no good metric to identify where we should focus our efforts and measure the impact of our campaigns.
The Alchemical Solution: Unite data scientists, medical professionals, and marketers to develop the first-ever index measuring susceptibility to misinformation on a county level using publicly available data.
Our Role: The Auxiliary conceived the JHDI, organized the team, and provided research to inform the development of the index.
Natural Light
The Challenge: How can a cheap beer brand that isn’t known for its outstanding flavor stand out to its core consumers: broke college students?
The Alchemical Solution: Give away $1 million for college debt relief. 25 winners, $40k each. College debt sucks, Natty’s here to help.
Our Role: As a strategist at VIRTUE, Imran briefed, produced, and starred in the video and campaign.
The Creative: