The challenge was to transform reluctance into anticipation for the 1,200 Unilever employees moving from the beloved landmark headquarters into a new company building with open-plan offices.Our brief was to develop a change in communication strategy, which had an emotional reach, resolving employees’ misgivings and making the relocation unforgettable. Thus, our campaign needed to be both credible and entertaining, addressing individual concerns and cheering up the staff without being goofy.The answer was an involved campaign called 'STRANDKLAR', which is a pun for 'fit for the beach' and the new company address 'Strandkai 1' 'beach quay'). To make Unilever staff 'fit for the beach' was a promise to resolve their feelings of unease before they move.Straightforward multimedia communication modules focussed on topics seizing on the staffs scepticism over the new neighborhood, the open-plan office situation and the relocation itself. Engaging ideas like jogging the new neighbourhood or a farewell bluebox photo shoot with the old headquarters led to three key events: Move-in Day, Company Celebration and the official opening.STRANDKLAR?! resolved major misgivings of employees and managed to turn scepticism into anticipation to move, as proved by many individual feedbacks and the extremely positive spirit during the key events.

Kick-Off: employees found a STRANDKLAR flyer announcing the campaign in their inbox. A STRANDKLAR logo installation near the entrance served as campaign billboard with feedback options.Prepare: Four bi-weekly Strandklar-editions with videos, photos and feature articles were released prior to the Move-in day. The topics were addressing the major misgivings, such as the new neighborhood, the open-plan office situation, to bid farewell to the past and the relocation itself.Move-in day: ‘Strandklar pilots’ received the employees at check-in counters, a jazz band was playing live. An “audio tour” of the new building stored on an iPod shuffle was part of a welcome package.Company celebration: At “Strandklar – A Day Aboard Unilever”, the employees invited their families to check out their new building while having a great party with lots of activities.Official opening: The global Unilever CEO, Hamburgs mayor, the national media and all Unilever employees attended the opening ceremony.

'Strandklar' gained strong credibility among Unilever employees, and managed to turn scepticism into anticipation towards the move, as proved by many individual feedbacks and the extremely positive spirit during the key events.More than 2,500 employee family members came to the company celebration, which shows a great deal of pride and affiliation by Unilever staff.Not only the CEO Harry Brouwer, the management and the project team at Unilever, but also the official staff council and numerous individual employees expressed their approval of the campaign. Even some teething troubles with the new building could not turn the spirit in the following months after the campaign came to an end.