Armin Strom - Dual Time
Video Storytelling & Exceptional Timepiece
When Armin Strom tells a story of friendship (and a watch strap).
Blending commercial film and humorous documentary, Armin Strom breaks the conventions of watchmaking communication with “The Duel”, a storytelling video by Imaginastudio. The project features the two founders of the Swiss brand, Serge Michel and Claude Greisler, in a delightfully absurd showdown over… the color of a strap. Yes, you read that right.
Video storytelling in service of a product launch
Brief
Create a film to introduce Armin Strom’s new release, to be unveiled at the Geneva Watch Days. At the same time, the company wanted to spotlight the brand’s two founders.
Develop a video storytelling campaign inspired by The Office, blending advertising with mockumentary style. Feature the two founders in their own roles, in a humorous, unexpected, and highly personal narrative. Adapt the concept into multiple formats suited for social media and press events.
The goal was to break away from the rigid codes of traditional watchmaking communication—without compromising the brand’s elegance. Direct the two CEOs, who are not professional actors. Manage a shoot that included real-life prank scenes, one of which involved a brand-new Porsche.
An idea in service of marketing
Faced with the challenge of presenting a watch in a content-saturated world, we chose the path of storytelling. The Dual Time GMT Resonance becomes the catalyst for a fictional conflict between its two founders, Serge Michel and Claude Greisler. All set against a backdrop of absurd debate over a black or white strap. The result: a humorous, personal narrative where emotion supports both brand image and product. This kind of content is perfect for capturing public attention.
Imaginastudio presents a film in the spirit of The Office: handheld camera, awkward zooms, eloquent silences. This creative approach brings to life painfully real scenes—like the one where a Porsche falls victim to an all-too-convincing prank. The two founders play themselves with natural charisma and self-deprecating humor, humanizing the brand in the process. A hybrid format that blurs the line between fiction, documentary, and marketing.
Released as a long version for the press and Geneva Watch Days, and as short clips for social media, the project reaches a broad audience. It’s been met with enthusiastic response in the watchmaking world, which is not accustomed to this kind of tone. A strategy that proves one strong idea is worth more than a flawless speech.
All About Video Storytelling
telling?
Video storytelling is the art of telling a story through audiovisual media. It brings a product or service to life through a narrative that sparks curiosity, creates emotion, and strengthens brand identity. It’s a powerful content strategy to convey a message, a company value, or a vision. Video storytelling is a way to communicate with impact, clarity, and elegance.
A good story sticks. Storytelling helps build a strong emotional connection with customers. It avoids the hard-sell approach while making the brand feel more relatable. In a world saturated with ads, a well-told video story has far greater impact than a list of selling points.
The goal of a classic ad is to sell. But in today’s saturated world, people avoid anything that feels like an ad. Video storytelling tells a story. One lists arguments; the other creates identification, uses humor and emotion, and lets viewers step into the brand’s world. It’s the difference between showing a watch—and telling a hilarious story about two founders disagreeing over the color of the strap.
For a successful video storytelling campaign, the most important thing is to create strong, believable characters. Then, introduce a conflict and a clear stake. Build a solid narrative structure. Use a visual style that matches the brand’s universe. And above all: emotion. Without emotion, there’s no impact. Without impact, no memory. Without memory, no brand.
All of them. Whether you’re a watchmaker, a tech company, or an NGO—every brand has a story to tell. The video format lets you adapt the tone, style, and narrative to each audience and platform.
That’s where storytelling thrives. Narrative capsules, short-format series, multi-part stories—social platforms are the perfect playground for surprising, engaging, and retaining audiences. Especially those tired of empty messages or skipping every ad.
