Reframing the role and perception of TT Marshals through a film-led series.

Context

The Isle of Man TT is one of the most iconic and dangerous motorsport events in the world.

At the centre of it are the TT Marshals — a volunteer force responsible for safety, control, and response across the course. Their role is critical, demanding, and highly skilled.

Despite this, marshals are often understood only in functional terms. Visible on the roadside, but largely invisible in terms of who they are, what they carry, and why they do it.

The opportunity was not to promote the event.
It was to change how marshals themselves were perceived.

The Underlying Challenge

Over time, familiarity had flattened understanding.

To many spectators, marshals were part of the backdrop — essential, but unexplored. The depth of responsibility, preparation, emotional pressure, and personal commitment involved was rarely seen.

This had real consequences:

• Limited public understanding of the role
• Recruitment challenges
• A narrow, surface-level perception of contribution
• A lack of emotional connection with wider audiences

The task was not awareness.
It was reframing.

Our Role

We partnered with the TT Marshals as a brand and film partner to create a series-led video campaign designed to bring audiences closer to the reality of the role.

Rather than producing a single promotional film, the work focused on:

• Developing an ongoing narrative over multiple films
• Shifting focus from spectacle to people
• Giving access to the internal world of marshals
• Using film to build understanding, respect, and emotional connection

Marketing channels were used to distribute and amplify the series, but the work itself was rooted in story and access, not messaging.

The Approach

The video series was built around honest, character-led storytelling.

Instead of dramatising the event, the films:

• Showed marshals as individuals, not uniforms
• Explored responsibility, pressure, and pride
• Gave voice to experience and motivation
• Allowed audiences to see the TT through the eyes of those keeping it safe

The tone was deliberate and respectful — designed to reveal rather than explain.

Outcome

The video series reached over 2 million views, signalling a level of engagement that went beyond passive viewing.

More importantly, the work helped change how the role of the TT Marshal was understood.

The series contributed to:

• A broader public understanding of the responsibility and skill involved
• Greater respect for the commitment required of marshals
• Stronger emotional connection between audiences and the people behind the event
• A body of work that could support recruitment and advocacy over time

The films changed how people felt about marshals, not just what they knew.

Why This Matters

Perception does not always change through instruction or explanation.

In familiar environments, it often changes when people are allowed closer — when they are given access to the human reality behind roles they think they understand.

This project demonstrates how film, used deliberately and at scale, can reframe perception by:

• Shifting focus from function to people
• Reintroducing depth where familiarity has flattened understanding
• Building respect through insight rather than promotion

Film was not used as decoration or content.
It was used as a tool for reframing.

How This Reflects Our Work

We work with organisations, communities, and institutions whose roles are essential but often simplified or misunderstood.

Sometimes perception needs structural clarity.
Sometimes it needs narrative access.

This project shows how a film-led series can be used to shift perception at scale — not through messaging, but through understanding.