Empowering Communities with Video

Missouri River Energy Services (MRES) is an organization of 61 member municipalities that own and operate their own electric distribution systems. They provide and promote public power in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

With a footprint that big, MRES has a lot of communication needs. One of them was video for their Value of Public Power campaign, a campaign designed to give members tools and materials to share with their community and advocate on behalf of public utilities.

It presented a unique challenge to HS, because the MRES membership is so diverse. Some are rural, others are in urban areas. And many represent a different mix of power: electrical, gas, solar, hydro, nuclear, coal and more.

Animated explainer-style videos proved to be a great solution. We set out to create a graphic style that would embrace all their communities without isolating any. The approachable and colorful animations tell the story of why you should care about public power and how utilities give back.

The videos also offer useful tips to members – like how to prepare for storms and other safety and savings tips. This animated style of video production is an economical way to get a message out to 61 communities. It also delivers broad reach to a diverse demographic in a fun way.