Okta needed to stand out at a major higher education conference — not with another slide deck, but with a 60-second animated video that could make identity access management feel relevant to university CTOs. The catch: it had to debut Okta's brand-new illustration style, and the timeline was tight.
Translating enterprise identity technology into a story that university leaders actually want to watch — in 60 seconds, on a deadline, with a brand style no one had used yet.
THE CHALLENGE:
Identity access management is invisible by design — it works best when no one notices it. But that's a terrible starting point for a conference video. We needed to make Okta's IAM solutions feel tangible, modern, and specific to higher education — without dumbing down the technology or losing the technical audience.
On top of that, Okta had just refreshed their brand with a new illustration system that had never been used in a public-facing piece. We were building the plane while introducing the paint job.
THE APPROACH:
We worked directly with Okta's brand team to internalize the new visual language, then rewrote their initial script — cutting it down for clarity and impact within the 60-second format. Every frame was storyboarded to align the new illustration style with a narrative that moved fast enough for a conference booth but carried enough substance for a CTO.
The piece was built to be modular from day one — the 60-second hero video could be cut into shorter social formats, maximizing the investment across channels.
A tight timeline, a brand system that had never shipped, and a technical product that needed to feel human. This project was a translation problem — and that's exactly where I do my best work.
THE RESULT:
• Delivered on deadline for the conference launch
• First public-facing piece using Okta's refreshed brand and illustration system
• Multiple video formats delivered — 60-second hero + social cutdowns
• Positioned Okta as a clear, modern IAM partner for higher education
