Storytelling at the company anniversary

The company anniversary is an important occasion for companies to revive important milestones of the past years. However, many companies shy away from the great effort involved in such an event in advance: processes have to be coordinated and service providers contacted. Planning an event takes a lot of time, money and nerves. But it can also bring great opportunities and new impulses: Previous values and priorities can be reconsidered and there is even the chance for a complete reorientation. Whether it’s the company’s 5th or 150th anniversary, it’s an ideal time to pause and reflect on where you’ve come from and where you’re heading. Skillful and creative storytelling can make the celebration day an emotional highlight for all employees, customers and even outsiders.

We are going to show five impressive examples of companies that let us participate in their personal hero’s journey with skillful storytelling for their anniversary.

MyMuesli – A book for the jubilee

Source: www.mymuesli.de

“Do!” is the motto of the three MyMuesli founders. For their tenth birthday, they therefore spared neither expense nor effort and published a book of the same name in which they have written down their story of the last few years. In addition to helpful tips for aspiring founders, they have one wish above all: more dreams should come true. Writing an entire book on the anniversary is certainly a challenge, but above all a sustainable way to celebrate one’s own successes.

Nikon – A website for the last 100 years

Nikon shows us how the anniversary can be celebrated digitally: just in time for its 100th birthday, the company launched a website that offers special jubilee content. In addition to the company history, the history of technology and a birthday film, those interested can also find special products. On top of that, the Nikon logo appears in new splendour. The site invites visitors to dive into a century of camera technology. Viewers embark on an entertaining journey into the world of light. They can find themselves between new technology and the world record for the largest human image taken by a camera.

Dörken – A birthday song for the employees

What can’t be missing on a successful birthday? Exactly! A birthday song. That’s what Dörken thought, a company that produces paint. For the occasion, they wrote their own birthday song. If you think of company songs as embarrassing self-congratulatory hits, you can breathe a sigh of relief: Dörken’s 125th anniversary song focuses on the skills and abilities of its staff in a personal and motivating way. In this song, the focus is not on the products, but on the people behind them, because the main characters in the film are, of course, real employees. Employer branding put in a storytelling format: the employees become heroes and the job becomes a vocation. The heroic mission to continue working on oneself and to surpass oneself hovers over everything. And there’s a catchy tune to boot.

Viessmann – a film about the next generation

This video is giving goosebumps: For many decades, the Viessmann Group has successfully navigated through cooling and heating technology. The Viessmann family has been at the top of the very beginning. Each new generation has left its personal mark along the way. The film celebrating the company’s centenary highlights the transition from one generation to the next. Rarely have we experienced the change at the top in a more personal and emotional way than in this work. The border between reality and fiction is skilfully blurred here – an example of more than successful storytelling.

Burda Medien – 70 years in photographs worth seeing

Source: www.burda.com

The most beautiful stories from 70 years of Burda media: The traditional publishing house from Offenburg in Baden-Württemberg has given itself a very special present for its anniversary. The company’s journey is closely linked to the history of the Federal Republic. Therefore, the illustrated book on the occasion of the anniversary is also a document of contemporary history that not only depicts the company’s own achievements, successes and stories. The work also contains contributions by companions such as former editors-in-chief who look back on many years in the company and reflect on their experiences at Burda. Their own birthday present thus becomes an unagitated but impressive journey through time.