"Inside and Out: Inclusion, All Ways"
Produced by Shell for 2022’s #PrideMonth, Samantha's Story is an affecting ode to the power of inclusivity in the workplace. Through intensely personal recollections, Platform Manager Samantha Nelson takes us through her harrowing journey of transition, from a childhood spent in social isolation to the career and cultural success she enjoys today.
This powerful film functions on multiple levels by first challenging us as an audience to reflect on the formative nature of obstacles from our own upbringing and what it means to belong, while also illuminating the types of avoidable limitations that can come from feeling unheard. Delivered within a homely setting, it frames itself as less direct message and more constructive conversation on developing a recruitment ethos of inclusivity.
On the one hand, Samantha’s testimony primarily serves as a compelling reminder to businesses that it needn’t be left to chance encounters for archaic preconceptions to be upended. That there is an inherent power in enabling your employees to blaze their own trail, in the workplace or otherwise. On the other hand, this piece expands upon an original interview published within the careers section of Shell’s website one year previous, making it a potent case study for why brand film continues to be an important tool in how businesses communicate their messages.
