London, UK, 14 June 2023: Building on a long-lasting partnership with Girls’ Day School Trust (GDST), creative agency Free the Birds produced an emotional brand film to celebrate the UK’s leading family of 25 independent girls’ schools.

Following unsettling times for the education sector during the pandemic, the GDST challenged Free The Birds to create an impactful internal comms campaign that would unite and motivate staff and students across its portfolio of 25 schools, with a total of 20,000 students, and over 4,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers, 2,000 support staff and 25 Heads.

Amy Bouchier, Director of Marketing, Communications and Philanthropy at GDST said “As GDST turned 150 years old this year, we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate the contribution of every member of staff – past and present, and to look forward to the future. It was important for us to acknowledge all our members of staff across our schools for all that they do.”

To elevate the school spirit, Free The Birds chose moving content as the medium, scripted and oversaw the production of an internal brand film that highlights the GDST purpose and compassionate approach of valuing its teachers and staff, and providing a memorable experience to all students.

Filmed in an empty school, the powerful brand video delivers an emotional connection without the human element that most people would expect in this narrative. The choice to not spotlight teachers or children creates a relatable perspective for the viewer – the film can resonate with the entire GDST community and celebrate the shared experience of being a student. It creates a timeless campaign around a personal moment that everyone can relate to and be pertinent to the school in years to come.

Paul Domenet, Creative Strategy Director at Free The Birds commented: “Our challenge was to capture and communicate the emotion that would resonate with the intended audience, but would also touch a universal nerve – the shared experience and memories of being a young student. Its content aims to not only show how much GDST cares about its staff and students but also stirs a wealth of emotion around being a young student – something we can all relate to.”

Amy Bouchier, Director of Marketing, Communications and Philanthropy at GDST added: “We wanted to remind our staff how important their contribution is to every girl, every day. This film recognises the role of every single person who chooses to work here, celebrating both teachers and all support staff who go above and beyond to create an environment where girls learn without limits and will go on to make the world a better place for us all.”

This was highlighted in the poignant final message “A GDST girl is made by everyone”.

The film works to renew pride within school staff and show how important their contribution is to every girl. It was shown in unison for staff and students in assemblies around the United Kingdom in November 2022, and will be used as a marketing collateral on social media, conferences and school events.

You can watch the brand movie here: Girls’ Day School Trust Brand Film