Skip to content

UKG's One View for All

Reframing Payroll as a Strategic Superpower

At Ever Wonder, we believe storytelling should do more than explain—it should transform. When UKG approached us to create the opening video for their annual UKG Live event, they weren’t looking for a product explainer. They wanted a mindset shift. Their goal? Reimagine payroll not as a back-office function, but as a catalyst for business strategy.

Our challenge was to tell that story—in just one minute—and make it powerful enough to set the tone for a live global audience and live on well beyond the stage.

 

Phases

The Challenge: Rewriting the Payroll Narrative

Payroll is essential—but it’s rarely viewed as inspiring or strategic. For the general session at UKG Live, UKG set out to shift that perception. They needed a video that would reframe payroll as a powerful, cross-functional force—resonating with a diverse audience of finance, HR, operations, and payroll leaders.

The brief was bold:
  • Inspire and energize a wide-ranging audience
  • Avoid feature-heavy messaging
  • Speak to both high-level visionaries and day-to-day operators
  • Be impactful enough for a live event, and evergreen enough for future use.
  • All within a tight, sub-60-second format

And the timeline? Just four weeks from kickoff to delivery. At Ever Wonder, we thrive under pressure. Turning creative challenges into standout solutions is what we do best. We pulled together our focused, high-performing team and got to work—collaborating closely, moving fast, and staying sharp to deliver something unforgettable.

woman with book
man looking at laptop by window
team high fiving each other
man on phone
woman with book
man looking at laptop by window
team high fiving each other
man on phone

Our Approach

Lead with Meaning, Not Mechanics

We anchored our creative strategy in a simple but powerful theme: “One View Is for All.” Instead of jumping straight into features or dashboards, we told a human story—one that opens with a sense of wonder, builds to clarity, and lands on transformation.

Here’s how we brought it to life:

UKG One View for All Hub and Spoke

1. Concept Development

In response to UKG’s creative brief, our team collaborated to develop a range of bold, human-centered concepts. Each explored a unique metaphor to position One View as a transformative force across the business. After presenting all six, the UKG team aligned on “Constellations of Insight” as the top concept. From there, we began shaping the visual direction to bring this idea to life.

man on mountain looking at sky

Constellations of Insight

Disconnected teams and data points are revealed as part of a larger constellation. One View connects the stars, giving businesses the clarity to navigate smarter and lead with confidence.

Chosen Concept
Kaleidoscope

The Kaleidoscope Effect

A fractured view of business functions transforms into rhythmic, colorful unity—like pieces of a kaleidoscope snapping into focus. One View brings clarity from complexity, turning siloed insights into a single, cohesive strategy.

spark from lighter

The Spark

A single spark ignites across departments, lighting up hands, cities, and ideas. One View is the catalyst that transforms isolated effort into cross-functional energy and innovation.

man jumping

The Moment Before the Leap

Before every big decision, there’s a quiet moment of potential—time slows, clarity emerges. One View is the insight that turns hesitation into momentum and transforms readiness into bold action.

butterfly on leaf

The Pulse of Progress

The organization becomes a living system, syncing together through One View’s steady pulse. What starts as tension builds into unified, energetic motion—business in perfect rhythm.

crystals

One

Threads become rope, dots become form—many moving parts converge into one powerful whole. One View unites Finance, HR, Ops, and Payroll into a single platform, multiplying impact through cohesion.

collage of frames

2. Research & Visual Direction:

To ground our vision, we conducted deep visual research, drawing from contemporary motion design, animation, and editorial styles. We curated a set of inspiration boards covering:

  • Stock video style
  • Imagery, motifs, overlays & animations
  • Imagery tone and composition
  • Typography
These boards helped us align early with the UKG team on look and feel. Once approved, we moved confidently into scripting and story development—building a narrative that would deliver both emotional impact and strategic clarity.

3. Strategic Messaging for a Live Moment

We crafted a voiceover script that slowly reveals the power of UKG’s One View platform. It opens with a global, poetic tone, drawing the audience in, and gradually builds toward clear, actionable value by persona:

man in a suit

Finance

Visibility into workforce costs → smarter planning

man in a suit arms crossed

Operations

Unified data → agile decision-making

woman with curly hair smiling behind laptop

HR

Transparent pay insights → stronger employee trust

woman in pink blazer holding laptop smiling

Payroll

Accuracy, compliance, and speed → strategic impact

4. Global, Human-Focused Visuals

To reflect UKG’s reach and humanity, we carefully curated & sourced cinematic stock footage that featured:

  • Diverse professionals across roles, industries, and countries
  • Dynamic pacing to keep the energy high
  • Striking, emotionally resonant scenes for a lasting impression
Frame 425
Rectangle 1008
Rectangle 1009
Rectangle 1010
Rectangle 1008
Rectangle 1009
Rectangle 1010

5. Meaningful Visuals

We custom-designed a set of visual elements to bring the concept to life in a meaningful and memorable way:

  • Abstract constellation overlays that represent the power of connected data
  • A world map composed of shimmering data points, highlighting the global reach of UKG One View
  • A radiant UKG logo built from hundreds of glowing dots—each one a part of a larger constellation, symbolizing unity through insight

6. Evergreen by Design

Though the video debuted at UKG Live, we planned for repurposing. The message is product-aligned but not event-specific, with adaptable visuals and voiceover to suit global markets.

7. Bringing the Video to Life

From voiceover to visuals, every detail was crafted to serve the story:

Voiceover

UK-accented, confident, inspirational tone               

Music

Bold, cinematic score that crescendos with the message

Overlays

Conceptual animations—no real UI—to keep it timeless

Imagery

Rooted in real human moments with a strong emotional pull

Pacing

Emotional beats early on, energetic finish for the stage
Rectangle 856-1

The Result

A Unified Brand Experience with Lasting Impact

Premiering at UKG Live 2025 in Melbourne, the “One View for All” video opened the General Session with a clear message: payroll drives progress.

Tied to the theme “Powering People in a Changing World,” it showed how payroll connects HR, finance, and operations to unlock business-wide insight. It’s since been used across:
  • Global events, including an edited version for EMEA
  • Internal presentations and sales enablement
  • Brand storytelling in external campaigns
Rectangle 858
Rectangle 858 (1)
storyboard with frames
Mockup
Rectangle 858 (1)-1
One Sky
Rectangle 857-1
man on a computer
Rectangle 857
Frame 355-1
Frame 363
Mockup
Share:

Next case study

EdExplorer

The App for Connecticut Education Data

Get started Growing your brand

We're excited to connect.