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We Create Returns to Bring Together Small Businesses, Creators and Agencies
BY: Instagram Business Team
San Francisco, CA
Launched in February 2021, We Create aims to inspire and reinvigorate Instagram’s core creative audience while supporting small businesses. The program lifts up communities and groups in need of resources and brings them together to collaborate on solutions that drive growth and push brand creativity. In its first iteration, We Create matched Black creative professionals with Black-owned small businesses. Now, We Create 2.0 builds on the mission by bringing together creative agencies and 3 creators to develop valuable content for 3 women-owned small businesses using Instagram’s fastest-growing format: Reels.
In a series of behind-the-scenes videos, Instagram documented the creative process of the We Create 2.0 teams from conception to final asset. This year’s teams are:
- Artist Elise Swopes (@swopes), Bodega at @wiedenkennedy and Indigenous-owned @onquata.paddle
- Multidisciplinary artist Laci Jordan (@solacilike) and social enterprise @theworthy.co
- Videographer Ashley Xu (@ashhasacamera), @digitas.na and clean skincare brand @hanahana_beauty
Elise Swopes Teams Up With Bodega at Wieden+Kennedy to Celebrate the Women Behind Onquata Paddle
The first video of the series introduces Lara Siouï, the owner of Onquata Paddle, a mother-daughter-owned business selling hand-painted, made-to-order paddles inspired by Lara’s First Nations culture. Their goal is to grow Onquata’s community on Instagram to reach beyond their local Quebec. “I need help in building brand awareness,” explains Lara. “I usually take all my photos and post myself, and it’s a huge undertaking for me.”
To assist Lara, Janelle Wallace—creative strategist at Bodega at Wieden+Kennedy—worked with surrealistic visual artist Elise Swopes. The agency briefed Elise on Onquata's campaign objectives while allowing her the necessary runway to create. After receiving direction, Elise imagined a fun solution: a stop-motion visual to tell Onquata’s story. “When I first opened the Onquata Instagram, I realized that there’s just a lot for me to work with,” says Elise.
“They said that their content does a lot better when they show the mom and daughter’s face. So I’m thinking, how can I tie in their faces? How can I tie in the actual experience of what you can do with the paddle? But then their story [too]?”
Watch the video above to see how Elise conceptualized stop-motion Reels ideas for Onquata Paddle and Lara’s reaction to the exciting result. And below, get Janelle’s perspective on why working with creators can make an impact on your brand.
Looking for more inspiration on how businesses and creators can collaborate to drive growth and brand creativity? Watch the second and third We Create episodes.
BY: Instagram Business Team
San Francisco, CA