Migration of ideas and culture is a theme Atlantic readers seek out. For this program, Our Studio identified three trends still taking shape in the UK but already shifting to America: the resurgence of new, genre-defying Jazz, a return to primal cooking methods in fine dining, and the surprising popularity of calligraphy on social media.

With these insights we conceived The British Impact, a three-part, transatlantic storytelling project following greatly influential British personalities in jazz, dining and typeface design, the next generation making waves in those fields, and their American counterparts. The Jaguar F-PACE facilitated a journey from the heart of London, to the forests of Kent, to the outskirts of Peckham.

The program takes readers to a never-before-seen depth of narrative through new digital storytelling tools. By engaging with interactive video, longform content, audio scenery, and original photography, readers could gain familiarity as well as unparalleled insight into each topic.

The British Impact was filmed in London, New York and Los Angeles in the summer of 2016, with short documentary videos at the heart of three chapters: (1) Radio host and DJ Gilles Peterson bringing together fresh faces of British Jazz, (2) acclaimed chefs Mark Hix and Dan Kluger reveal how the lost-art of cooking over wood is being elevated on both sides of the Atlantic, and (3) The Colophon Foundry, Debbie Millman and royal calligrapher Paul Antonio shed light on the unexpected impact of typography.

The videos anchored a custom destination on TheAtlantic.com, but their unique, non-linear format gave readers unmatched control in exploring nearly 40 pieces of original content. These exclusive “artifacts,” such as a live, specially remixed performance of Rye Lane Shuffle, offered readers independence and filled their hunger for understanding, giving the program special depth that might have been otherwise been cut for time.

The program surpassed benchmarks, including total pageviews and social actions, and successfully attracted relevant audiences who over-index for owning or purchasing a Jaguar. It received widespread positive social engagement from top voices in each of the three highlighted fields—including a top strategist at Sony Music and a head chef living in the UK.

The overall impact of the stories reaches beyond screens. In several cases, the up-and-coming talent featured in each chapter gained further acclaim once the program was released: Musician Keyon Harrold has won two Grammy awards; chef Kevin Adey received a Michelin star; the Colophon Foundry had the opportunity to design the official typeface of Wales. Moreover, the program cemented Jaguar’s presence as a cultural harbinger in the American market: In 2016, it was the fastest-growing auto brand in the US. The British Impact not only elevated existing cultural shifts but helped propel them to greater heights.

This work was inspired and brought to life by The British Impact on the cultural worlds of jazz, dining, and typeface design. Talent drives the narratives of the three chapters, with some 16 individuals featured, including highly-credible household names like BBC host Gilles Peterson to up-and-comers like American jazz-trumpeter Keyon Harrold, who went on to win a Grammy post-filming.

The audience was invited to uniquely engage with the talent, interacting with them in innovative ways besides the hero video. Dozens of pieces of original content featured the talent’s expertise and personality, giving the audience a layered understanding of their world.

While the subjects we covered took a literal journey through the UK and to America, readers were taken on their own journey of discovery, leaving no doubt that Britain is an epicenter of cultural trends and innovation.

Importantly, the work covered these topics through multiple layers-- both highly-established experts as well as the next generation. For example, star chef Mark Hix and Michelin-awarded James Lowe introduce new talent like Kevin Adey and his just-opened restaurant, Faro, which would go on to win a Michelin star itself.

Inspiring The Atlantic audience with some of today’s most exciting British-born cultural exports was a subtle yet important way of positioning the F-PACE in good company, making the vehicle’s Britishness an attribute associated with forward-thinking culture. It creatively framed Jaguar at two ends of the cultural spectrum: Both as a longtime standard-bearer and a leader of the vanguard.

As Jaguar launched their first SUV in the crowded premium marketplace, it had the opportunity to remind Americans about one of the most cherished attributes of the brand: its uniquely British heritage. Jaguar sought a media partner that could drive awareness of the new F-PACE model and set it apart by speaking with a sense of cultural authority. The agency combined these objectives to create The British Impact, which connected British influences to American culture in specific fields and by extension, celebrated Jaguar’s own impact on the US.