The face of generation d
by Louise Robertson, Intranet Communications

December 1, 2000, we were all asked: Are you the face of generation d? The question arrived by email and more than 1,100 employees replied, "Yes!"

This is the way the digital casting call for generation d commercials began. Employees interested in becoming part of the ad campaign answered questions about themselves and being part of generation d, then sent in a picture.

Employees were chosen based on a number of criteria, including written responses, pictures, and location. The Business Advertising group, which coordinated the digital casting call, needed people from around the world. Initially, the field was narrowed to 100, then 41 employees were chosen.

In mid-December, 19 of the employees were sent to Hong Kong for a photo shoot. The rest went to Paris in early January.

The results of the photo shoots will be used on the web site, online banners and in print and TV commercials. However, all uses of the material are yet to be determined.

During the photo shoots the employees became good friends immediately. They had a lot in common: They worked for WorldCom and were travelling in a foreign country to participate in an advertising campaign. Plus, they found out what it was like to work at WorldCom in place such as Texas, Germany or Chicago.

The campaign was launched domestically January 21 on TV and January 22 in print and on the web. The International rollout will follow shortly, hitting key European and Asia Pacific countries.