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B2B campaigns aren’t usually known for being flashy. They’re often filled with insider jargon and take a fairly cut-and-dry approach to their messaging.
But they don’t have to be that way, as a new campaign for cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks proves with its sci-fi fantasy.
Palo Alto Networks assembled an A-list team of Hollywood’s best—including actor Keanu Reeves, director David Leitch, composer Daniel Pemberton, and UPP visual—to create a new B2B campaign introducing a new suite of security solutions designed to help enterprises combat AI-generated cyberthreats. The suite is powered by its proprietary solution, Precision AI, which integrates machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI technologies.
“Most B2B communications lack humanity. The category is loaded with ads that sound like technical brochures. But humans like stories. Humans believe in stories,” said James Selman, founder and CCO of creative agency weights&pulleys, which worked on the project.
At the center of the campaign are four 60-second spots, starring Reeves as “J,” that are set in a fantastical world—a desert landscape of business, populated by workers trying to keep pace with evolving AI threats. The action comes in when cybercriminals attack, with J transforming himself and each company with the “good” AI of Precision AI.
“Origin Story” shows J as a regular cybersecurity guy doing his job when he realizes today’s AI threats are beyond him. He calls upon Precision AI for help, and receives a new set of tools. It’s the beginning of a tale of good vs. evil playing out in the millions of AI training models Palo Alto Networks runs every day to fight cybercrime.
The next spots solidify the narrative, featuring “Network Attacks,” “Multi-Cloud Vulnerabilities” and “SEC-OPS Incident Response,” all ending with the tagline spoken by Reeves: “This isn’t sci-fi. This is Precision AI.”
“It was exciting for me to reconnect with my longtime friend Keanu, and I enjoyed collaborating with him and all the creatives on these commercials. We collectively captured the essence of the visionary work Palo Alto Networks does in the world of cybersecurity, and I’m proud we all accomplished our goal,” said Leitch in a statement.