July 2023 saw the beginning of the biggest reputational crisis of RTÉ’s history. What followed was a series of RTÉ scandals that dominated headlines for almost a year, causing untold reputational, trust and brand damage. After multiple departures of RTÉ Board and Executive Board members, RTÉ began the slow task of rebuilding. In June 2024, RTÉ published its new, transformational five-year strategy and Governance Framework. RTÉ needed a compelling piece of consumer-facing copy that demonstrated confidence in its own transformation. The ad needed to remind audiences of the vital role RTÉ plays in Irish life. Tone was crucial, and RTÉ could not afford to get this wrong. Crucially, it needed to express appropriate contrition for, and acknowledgment of, “the elephant in the room”. Despite the importance of this ad, any large spend on creative would have been interpreted as indulgent, so the creative was conceived entirely in-house and was produced for a modest cost of €6,000. The creative was informed by one important audience insight; while RTÉ’s reputation as an organisation was on the floor, Irish audiences were impressed by RTÉ’s vigorous journalism throughout the crisis. It was clear that RTÉ’s journalists were not afraid to hold RTÉ to account.