WESTERN GATEWAY
Giving a cross-border region one persuasive voice
The Western Gateway was the UK’s first pan-regional partnership stretching from Swindon to Swansea, with Bristol and Cardiff at its heart. Its mission was ambitious. It set out to unite South Wales and Western England as a single economic powerhouse. To do that, it brought together 28 local authorities, businesses and two governments. Above all, it needed to attract investment and make the region’s case on the national stage.
The Problem
Uniting two regions from Wales and England into one story is hard. They sit on opposite sides of a national border. Each has its own identity, economy and sense of place. So the partnership risked sounding like a vague umbrella, rather than a real powerhouse. On top of this, its chief executive needed a persuasive platform. The aim was to address investors and government directly, with confidence. In short, the film had to make a broad geographical region feel like one compelling opportunity.
The Approach
We built the film around a single, unifying argument. The region’s strength lay precisely in its geography. So rather than hide the differences, we connected them.
To tell that story, we combined fresh filming with archival footage. We also worked closely with partners across the region to source content. As a result, the film could show the whole Gateway, not just one city. Industry, research, landscape and people all featured side by side.
At its centre, we gave the chief executive a clear platform to lead. The edit let them set out the vision and make the investment case directly. Their voice held the regions together, turning many places into one argument.
The Result
The result was a persuasive, investor-ready film. It gave the partnership a confident tool for national and international audiences.
