We wanted to celebrate directors, and the unique perspective they bring to everyday stories. In thinking about the campaign from this perspective, we knew we would need to work with multiple directors to showcase different visions. We decided that three was the right number of directors, and that we should consolidate our media buy to focus on making three 60-second short films versus having shorter units.

What intrigued us, was the notion of giving multiple directors the exact same script, and seeing how they would interpret it and tell their story. All we needed was a script, and a way to brand the spots in a natural, filmic way.

That’s when we came up with a receipt. It naturally branded the films right up front, and gave the filmmakers something to work from that was confining, but still allowed them to be creative.

We worked with award-winning Hollywood directors Antoine Fuqua, Marc Forster and Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg to create three one-minute films based on a single Walmart receipt. All they had to do was incorporate the six items into the storyline, and feature the receipt in the opening titles. Then we partnered with them to write, cast, shoot and edit the films.

Since we didn’t want the films to have to explain the whole idea, we shot trailers and behind the scenes spots setting up the idea. We did show integrations on The Jimmy Kimmel Show and Good Morning America.

On Oscars night, we blurred the line between the event and our films using in-show billboards to introduce each film. Our social media command center engaged in rich conversations on Twitter and Facebook. And in the end, people weren’t just talking about the nominees, they were talking about Walmart’s The Receipt.

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Despite the value it provides to millions of Americans every day, Walmart has found itself in the crosshairs of criticism. Our goal was to renew a sense of public pride in Walmart so we set out to disrupt negative perceptions on a cultural level.

Through a bold partnership with the Academy Awards, Walmart launched an integrated campaign that leveraged broadcast, PR, social and digital channels, in-store and employee communications that ultimately built on the truth of our brand, elevated the company, and changed the cultural conversation that surrounds us.

This was our Cinderella moment. We are a brand known for low prices and everyday items. Yet this was the Oscars, a celebration of creativity and America’s biggest, most glamorous party. We needed to find a way to not just fit in, but stand out, in a way that showed a deep understanding and respect for the world we were entering. After all, the reason we became the official sponsor, was to appeal to a broader audience and begin to change the perceptions of the brand. We needed to go from being just a store, to being part of American pop culture.

So we set out to create a campaign that respected the show and it’s viewers, was entertaining, and that turned our everyday shoppers’ stories into something bigger and grander, which is what great filmmaking does.

Walmart’s success was built on the company’s belief that no matter where you live or how much money you make, everyone in America deserves access to affordable, high quality products. As Walmart expanded in size and scale, the company made good on this promise for millions of people.

Walmart customers reflect a mirror image of the US population and is considered a staple of everyday life.

Despite the value it provides to millions of people every day, Walmart has found itself in the crosshairs of criticism. No matter how untrue that characterization may be given the much improved state of the experience today, negative sentiment remains.

If we wanted customers to think about Walmart differently, we needed to take steps to elevate our image in American culture.