When everything is working as intended, most people don't think about all the technical infrastructure that keeps the modern world moving. But when a defective software update like the one rolled out by CrowdStrike knocks airlines, banks and broadcasters offline, people are much more interested in the workings of cybersecurity vendors.

For Palo Alto Networks, marketing its suite of cybersecurity tools and platforms has focused on the upside of having the right tech partners, not the "gloom and doom" usually associated with the industry, explained CMO Unnikrishnan KP.

“Our perspective has always been technology is great — you've got all these new tools, processes and applications coming into play which are going to make you highly productive and efficient. You just need to have the right cybersecurity tools in place,” KP said. “It's not about scaring customers — on the contrary, it's about partnering with them and really helping them expand.”

Partnership is the key to Palo Alto's global campaign, “This is Precision AI.” But instead of a traditional vendor-client relationship, the team-up at the center of the campaign is between the company and a Hollywood crew featuring Keanu Reeves, director David Leitch (“The Fall Guy”) and composer Daniel Pemberton (of the “Spider-Verse” franchise).

“This is Precision AI” takes the form of several 60-second spots that come together as a sci-fi narrative reminiscent of Reeves' work in the “Matrix” and “John Wick” franchises. In “Origin,” Reeves' “J” drops into an arid landscape — without a parachute — before breaking a golden ticket and teleporting to a virtual armory. There, he upgrades his gear before dropping out of a flying orb and preparing to battle various forms of “AI treachery.”

“Network” takes place on a flying mainframe, something between “Snowpiercer” and “Fury Road,” where J uses AI-powered fists to take on a crew of cloned threats (recalling the armies of Agent Smith in the “Matrix” sequels).

“It's cybersecurity — how cool can you make it?” KP said. “'B2B' doesn't mean 'business-to-boring.'”

A change in strategy

Palo Alto Networks, founded in 2005, is a leader in the cybersecurity space with more than 80,000 enterprise customers. The company has high recall compared to other organizations in the space, but hasn't been aggressive about advertising or marketing, KP said. What would eventually be the “This is Precision AI” campaign would help Palo Alto uplevel its brand and ramp up its awareness as a one-stop-shop for cybersecurity, especially amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

“Wearing a marketing hat, how do you take all these great technology conversations and make it more creative? How do you make it more palatable to a larger audience? We said, 'Why don't we look at borrowing from some really big, iconic brands out there, associate with them, and then build it as a story,’” KP said.

Palo Alto's marketing team and agency partners including creative studio Weights & Pulleys, production studio Minted Content, editorial team Cartel and graphics team Buck, worked to take technical ideas — like how IT organizations struggle to support legacy infrastructure — find a storytelling format, storyboard the creative and then produce spots that resonated and emotionally connected with customers. 

“When we embarked on this journey, it was first deciding how big do we want to go? It's not about a typical, ad hoc ad campaign,” KP said. “How do we really build a story?”

The Keanu quotient

The story of “This is Precision AI” imagines its main character as a cybersecurity professional in need of the newest tools to stay current with a threat landscape that is evolving, like everything in the tech world, due to the proliferation of AI. To connect with the most customers possible, Palo Alto needed a pitch-perfect avatar to represent its clients in the campaign.

Reeves was one of the many names that Palo Alto evaluated as a possible face for the campaign. Beyond KP being a "big fan boy" of the Hollywood icon, Reeves satisfied several other qualifications: someone well-known for versatility and talent; someone with a cult following that is also a big box office draw; and someone who creates cultural impact and has a positive public image. The latter is a key factor in the cybersecurity world. 

“We hold our reputation high, like everybody should, because it's important for us to be seen like that when it comes to a customer,” the exec said. “We are keeping them safe — that criticality of reputation is very high.”

Throughout the campaign, Reeves' personal involvement, commitment and passion have been on full display to Palo Alto and their agencies. For the cybersecurity firm, that type of work that goes beyond what is on the contract extends to their core business and their marketing functions.

“I tell our agencies, it's not a contractual obligation — I can do a contract of obligation with anybody,” KP said. “It's being an extended team and partner, because when you think like us, it's one plus one is equal to five.”