DHL Defenders: Play Your Part

DHL Defenders: Play Your Part is a character-led internal campaign designed to embed a security-first mindset across DHL Express. Developed in collaboration with creative communications agency Something Big, the campaign used bold visual storytelling to make security awareness more visible, relevant and empowering for employees around the world.
Security is essential to every global business’s operation. But insights show that employees sometimes view security as a barrier to productivity, while underestimating the risks and their own role in keeping people, assets and brand reputation safe. DHL Express needed a creative approach that would shift this perception and make security feel empowering, not instructional.
Something Big created a character-led campaign grounded in behavioural insight. Research shows that visual, interactive storytelling boosts both message retention and emotional connection - particularly for topics that are often overlooked. The result is DHL Defenders: a vibrant concept inspired by gaming, built around a cast of generative AI-supported bespoke characters designed to reflect DHL’s diverse workforce. These character-led visuals made complex messages feel accessible, memorable and inclusive.
The campaign toolkit included:
- Posters and workplace displays
- Digital screens and lock screens
- Email banners and intranet graphics
- Animations for added visibility and engagement
Assets were designed to be modular and easy to localise.
Materials have already been translated into Spanish and Portuguese to support rollout across Latin America, with further versions planned. Regional teams have adapted content to their own needs while staying within the brand’s visual identity.
The campaign gained strong internal traction. Security leads praised its clarity and effectiveness. Regional teams actively adopted the assets, and DHL's CEO and Head of Operations described the campaign as "fantastic."
DHL Defenders demonstrates how strong creative, built on insight, can shift perceptions and support culture change - making security a shared responsibility across a global workforce.