Bank of America sponsorship webpage for Ken Burns’ PBS film “The War,” featuring a black-and-white WWII soldier portrait and an “About the Film” section describing the series. Portfolio copywriting by Paul Baker, who led the microsite and episode guide content strategy. Episode Guide page from Ken Burns’ “The War,” sponsored by Bank of America, showing a black-and-white photo of Pearl Harbor under attack in December 1941. Portfolio work by Paul Baker, who wrote concise episode synopses for the microsite. Episode Guide page from Ken Burns’ “The War,” featuring a WWII photo from Avellino, Italy in 1943, with text describing America’s manufacturing shift and women joining the workforce. Copy by Paul Baker for Bank of America’s sponsorship microsite. Episode Guide page from Ken Burns’ “The War,” showing a photo of Allied soldiers landing at Normandy in June 1944. Portfolio entry by Paul Baker, who created engaging, accessible episode guides for Bank of America’s sponsored PBS microsite.
Client

Bank of America, by Organic Advertising—one of the top three digital agencies in San Francisco

Title

“Ken Burns, The War”

Role

Lead Writer

About This Project

Bank of America needed to showcase their support for one of the world’s best-known documentary filmmakers.

Our microsite put the film in context, and most importantly, supplied an Episode Guide that provided a concise, intriguing synopsis for each part of the 14-hour series.

I had to summarize two hours of action in 2 or 3 (max) short paragraphs, the last sentence of which needed to set up core themes in the next episode. I wish I could say Ken Burns offered me a cup of coffee while we sat and he reviewed my stuff…but it wasn’t in the script.

↑ Back up to Portfolio