Case Study
First Bus' Special Recognition
A crafted moment celebrating colleagues who went above and beyond
CLIENT
01
The Challenge
Introducing extraordinary stories with the care and weight they deserved.
Each year, Paradigm partners with First Bus to design and deliver the Our Way Awards — a major internal event recognising colleagues who embody the company’s values and deliver exceptional work across the business. Our involvement spans the full experience, from event branding and motion graphics to films, stings, printed materials and on-the-night assets.
While the awards themselves are internal, one part of the programme — the Special Recognition segment — presented a unique creative challenge. Nine colleagues were being honoured for extraordinary actions, including saving lives and supporting vulnerable people, and the opening film for this segment needed to mark the moment with sensitivity, respect and emotional clarity.
This animation would introduce the awards live on the night, but also had the potential to live on beyond the event — making it one of the few elements suitable for external audiences.
02
The Approach
A single, unifying narrative within a much wider event framework.
As part of the wider Our Way Awards creative, we set out to design an opening VT that could stand alone while still feeling connected to the event’s established branding and motion language.
We began by gathering the stories behind each Special Recognition award. Rather than presenting them individually, we looked for a way to bring them together into a single narrative that reflected the spirit of First Bus as a whole. To achieve this, we commissioned a poet to craft an overarching piece of narration, allowing each story to contribute to a shared emotional arc.
Visually, we developed an abstract animation style inspired by the idea of a golden thread — a continuous line drawing that flowed through the film, symbolising connection, care and commitment. This approach avoided literal illustration of sensitive events, while still giving the piece warmth, movement and meaning.
The animation was developed through detailed storyboards, animatics and style tests, and brought to life using considered motion, depth and pacing. Music and sound design were layered in carefully to support the narrative and punctuate key moments, ensuring the film felt emotionally engaging without overwhelming the subject matter.
All of this was delivered to tight timelines, balancing creative ambition with the practical realities of a live event environment.
03
The Outcome
A moment that resonated in the room — and beyond it.
The 90-second animated film opened the Special Recognition segment of the Our Way Awards, setting a reflective and celebratory tone for the stories that followed. It was met with a strong response from colleagues and senior leadership, successfully giving the moment the gravity and respect it deserved.
Following the event, First Bus chose to share the film externally across their social channels, allowing the message — and the values behind it — to reach a much wider audience. What began as one carefully crafted component of a larger internal programme became a standalone piece that showcased First Bus’s culture and the extraordinary actions of its people.
