Turning a skeptical audience into willing participants
AJC’s Project Interchange invites senior journalists, elected officials, and policy influencers to experience Israel firsthand. I developed a recruitment film designed to earn trust with a highly skeptical audience — without relying on institutional messaging or overt promotion.
Strategy and creative direction in collaboration with Micah Smith.
Key Outcomes
Primary asset used in high-level outreach
Collateral remained in active use over time
Reduced skepticism in one-to-one invitations
CHALLENGE
Invitations were often delivered through direct, one-to-one outreach, where a single misstep could end the conversation.
The audience — senior journalists and policymakers — was predisposed to question institutional narratives, especially around politically sensitive topics.
A traditional promotional video risked reinforcing skepticism rather than resolving it.
PROCESS
The project was initially conceived as a scripted, voiceover-led video. However, I believed that this risked coming across as an attempt to push a planned agenda.
To counter this, I recommended shifting to first-hand participant interviews, offering more credibility as authentic representations of the speakers' feelings.
This approach amplified authentic peer perspectives and demonstrated that the experience held up across participants with differing backgrounds and viewpoints.
RESULTS
• The film was adopted immediately as the primary video on Project Interchange’s homepage, signaling institutional confidence in the approach.
• It supported invitations to senior journalists, elected officials, and other high-level figures by clarifying the nature of the experience through participant voices rather than institutional framing.
• The Project Interchange team recognized the film as a clear and usable expression of the program’s intent.
The film has remained in use over time, indicating its continued relevance.
When I recommend this approach
You’re inviting a skeptical or highly sophisticated audience to engage
A traditional promotional message would raise objections before trust is established
Credibility, not awareness, is the primary barrier to action
Exploring a high-stakes message with a skeptical audience?
Let’s talk through whether a participant-led approach makes sense for your situation.