• by Larissa Faw , April 24, 2014

Iconic furniture brand Herman Miller and digital agency Hello Design are showcasing the brand's history through "The Hilda Stories," a four-video series highlighting the life and career of longtime executive Hilda Longinotti.

The videos - animated by Damien Florebert Cuypers - are currently being released over the course of two weeks on Herman Miller's content platform Why and will coincide with Longinotti’s separate 15-city storytelling tour. 

This campaign underscores Herman Miller's digital strategy, which is to release content that doesn't scream advertising. In fact, there is no paid media for this effort. 

This campaign was designed to showcase one of Herman Miller's most recognizable personalities. Longinotti has played an influential role at the company for more than 30 years and was part of a group of interviews conducted by Hello Design last year for Herman Miller's Why Design platform.

That series delved into the history of eight famous product designers, including Irving Harper, creator of the Marshmallow Sofa, and Don Chadwick, co-creator of the Aeron office chair. 

Still, Longinotti and her tales were deserving of her own separate campaign. "Hilda is quite the character," says Scott Arenstein, Partner, Hello Design. "We had five hours of great content, and her stories are so vivid and colorful we thought this would be a fun way to tell them and bring them to life." 

Longinotti now serves as a brand ambassador to bridge the gap between Herman Miller's past and future. Her strong knowledge of design and wide acquaintance in the architectural and design communities enabled her to develop a pilot program for strengthening communication between Herman Miller and architects and designers.

The success of this program led to Longinotti’s appointment in 1979 as manager, design community programs—which became the foundation for today’s Herman Miller A+D network. She remains a Herman Miller “Goodwill Ambassador."

Hello Design, part of MDC Partners, has held the Herman Miller account for six years. The California-based agency also represents Tillamook Cheese, Speedo and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.