Upwork is a global network of freelance talent. Our challenge was to inspire middle managers in need of help to see the site as much more than some indiscriminate mob of freelancers from here, there and everywhere, but rather a unified movement of motivated people — freelancers and managers alike — here to roll up collective sleeves and make stuff happen.

The spots portrayed an experience familiar to us all in the workaday world: the “oh shit, how am I going to get this done?” moment when an ambitious goal or daunting project lands on our desk. In a colorful, quirky world that’s hip to Upwork’s freelance platform, managers transform their nagging anxiety into the thrill of making things happen.

Compared to earlier campaigns, the ad dramatically increased site visits and generated record signups among first-time corporate users.