Still Day One — Fundraise
Leading creative direction for Moniepoint's emotional brand film announcing our Series C fundraise — the story that humanized a billion-dollar milestone.
Role
Creative Director
Brand Design Lead
Visual Direction
Timeline
8 weeks
Sep — Oct 2024
Team
Content Studio (5)
External Production (12)
Leadership (3)
The Challenge
How do you announce a billion-dollar fundraise without sounding like every other fintech?
October 2024: Moniepoint closed one of Africa's largest Series C rounds. Every fintech fundraise follows the same playbook — press release, CEO LinkedIn post, investor logo wall. We weren't interested in making that film.
This was also Moniepoint's first major brand moment since rebranding from TeamApt 6 months prior. The film had to answer: what does Moniepoint sound like when we're not selling a product?
Success criteria
- ✓ Launch same day as press release announcement
- ✓ 100K+ views in Week 1 (no paid media)
- ✓ Positive sentiment from business owners
- ✓ Media pickup beyond standard tech press
- ✓ Internal team alignment on brand voice
The constraint: 8 weeks end-to-end. Leadership wanted this live same day as the press release. No room for extended creative development.
The Process
From concept to film in 8 weeks
Concept & Narrative Strategy
Week 1–2
I started with one question: What does every Nigerian business owner feel after a major milestone, no matter how big?
The answer wasn't "celebration." It was: "it's still day one." No matter how far you've come, you're still building. That's the feeling that drives every entrepreneur — and it was exactly what Moniepoint felt about its fundraise. We're not arriving. We're accelerating.
Three directions pitched:
- "The Numbers Story" — Data-driven, infographic style → Rejected: too corporate
- "Founder Testimonials" — 5–6 business owners on camera → Rejected: felt like case studies, not brand film
- "Still Day One" — Philosophical POV on ambition narrated over real footage → Selected
Script Development & Visual Treatment
Week 2–4
I worked with the Content Studio through 6 script iterations. The key tension: poetic brand language vs. authentic business owner sentiment. Every draft had to sound like a real person, not a brand manager.
Script evolution (opening lines):
Draft 1
"We've powered 20 million businesses. But we're just getting started."
→ Too transactional, leads with us not them
Final
"You know that feeling when you've come so far, but you're still so hungry? That's day one. And for us, it's still day one."
✓ Specific emotion, inclusive language, no corporate jargon
Direction to the production team: "Show real work. No actors. No staged setups. If it looks like a stock photo, we're doing it wrong."
Production & On-Set Direction
Week 4–6
We shot across 4 locations in Lagos over 5 days — Computer Village, Balogun Market, Yaba Tech Hub, and Ikorodu Road workshops. All authentic. No sets.
Key on-set decisions:
- Casting pivot: Started with featured business owners on camera → Switched to authentic B-roll only (interviews felt too documentary)
- Lighting: Rejected all staged setups → Natural/available light throughout
- Camera: Added handheld sequences for intimacy beyond the initially planned locked-off shots
Post-Production
Week 6–8
8 cut revisions with the editor. V1–V3 found the rhythm. V4–V6 tightened (we cut 40 seconds and killed some of my favorite shots). V7 locked music. V8 was final delivery.
Critical choices:
- Runtime: 1:47 final (started at 2:30 — cut for social platform optimization)
- Color: Desaturated with lifted blacks — hopeful realism, not gritty poverty
- Music: Switched from orchestral to minimal piano
- End card: Logo + "It's still day one" — rejected every CTA that was suggested
The biggest creative fight: leadership wanted to add product screenshots. I pushed back — this film isn't about features, it's about feeling. No product shots made it in. They trusted the vision.
The Results
Beyond views — this changed how we show up as a brand
487K
Views in Week 1
Target: 100K ✓
12K
Organic shares
Zero paid promotion
94%
Positive sentiment
Comments analysis
- 📰 Featured in TechCabal, Techpoint, Business Day, Nairametrics
- 🎬 "Make it feel like Still Day One" became internal creative shorthand for quality
- 💬 1,200+ comments from business owners sharing their own day-one stories
- 📈 Brand search lift: "Moniepoint" searches up 40% in launch week
"Olympio didn't just deliver a film. He delivered a creative POV that now defines how we show up. Still Day One isn't just a tagline — it's become part of our culture."
— Marketing Leadership, Moniepoint Inc.
"Most fintech fundraise announcements feel like investor flex. This one felt like you were talking to me. I actually care that you raised this money."
— Small business owner, Twitter/X
Key Learnings
What worked
- ✓ Leading with emotion over features created real differentiation
- ✓ Single-slide concept pitch got faster buy-in than decks
- ✓ Authentic footage beat polished/staged every time
- ✓ Fighting for creative purity (no product shots) paid off
- ✓ "Still day one" became a brand rallying cry far beyond the campaign
What I'd change
- ⚡ Start script earlier (6 iterations was tight in 2 weeks)
- ⚡ Build weather buffer into shoot schedule (lost 1 day to rain)
- ⚡ Create 15s and 30s cutdowns upfront, not as afterthoughts
- ⚡ Document more BTS — missed content opportunity
Next case study
Independence Day — TeamApt →Need brand film or creative direction?
Currently booking Q3 2026. Open to opportunities in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
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