Working closely with the client Baillie Gifford and agency Eyebolls, our team developed a promotional film centred around the themes of resilience, conviction and long-term thinking. After exploring a range of creative approaches, we landed on the idea of a cinematic marble run — a simple yet powerful visual metaphor for navigating uncertainty, overcoming obstacles and maintaining focus in an increasingly complex world. By combining strong storytelling with a highly crafted visual aesthetic, we were able to translate the client’s investment philosophy into an engaging and accessible narrative.

From a production standpoint, the project provided an opportunity to explore a highly polished visual aesthetic that balanced realism with abstraction. Working closely with the team, we utilised Houdini to create dynamic simulations and procedural motion throughout the marble run, helping to inject a sense of energy, unpredictability and momentum into the film. Rendering was handled in Redshift, where we paid particular attention to materiality, reflections and refractions, ensuring the marbles and environments possessed a premium, tactile quality. The final imagery was then carefully crafted in Nuke, where lighting, atmosphere and compositing were refined to elevate the overall sophistication of the piece and reinforce the cinematic tone.

The film proved to be one of Baillie Gifford’s most successful campaigns, resonating strongly with both the client and its audience. By translating a complex investment philosophy into a simple, engaging visual metaphor, the project achieved a level of clarity and memorability that helped it stand out within the sector. The work was subsequently recognised by the industry, going on to win at the Scottish Design Awards and further demonstrating the value of combining strong conceptual thinking with high-end visual execution.