The Problem

Shop class is disappearing from American high schools.

Metabo HPT’s mission was to help bring it back—but advocacy alone doesn't move a generation. High schoolers and parents are default-conditioned toward four-year college paths, leaving the trades completely out of the conversation. The real challenge wasn't brand awareness; it was an aspirational gap.

The Insight

In an era dominated by AI and automation, there is nothing more radical than being able to say: “made by me.”

The trades aren't a fallback plan—they are among the most future-proof, creative careers in the country. The people in them physically built the world everyone else just lives in. We reframed trade education not as manual labor, but as pride of authorship.

An anthem film, made by me.

Personally conceptualized, sourced, and edited as the emotional anchor for our executive pitch to Metabo HPT leadership.

The Campaign

made by me. is a campaign built on the pride of authorship. By repositioning the trades as creative, cultural, and deeply human, we set out to make trade education feel worth demanding—in schools, at home, and in culture.

The Activation

Identity Scan / Build Lab

Students don't avoid the trades because they lack interest—they avoid them because no one has ever helped them see themselves in them.

Students complete an Identity Scan that assigns a Builder Archetype: Creator, Engineer, Designer, or Storyteller. They enter a Build Lab and make something real. When the build is complete, it unlocks personalized career paths, salary ranges, and trade programs. Identity becomes pathway.

Content Strategy & YouTube Ecosystem

Content Strategy

87% of Gen Z uses YouTube to learn new skills, with nearly 60% preferring it over textbooks. We proposed making Metabo HPT the universal shop class on YouTube through two content streams:

• How-To & Skill Content: Practical, tutorial-driven builds. Aspirational in framing, useful in value.

• Made by Me Spotlights: Features on craftsmen and makers who built something remarkable—like the set designer behind Bad Bunny's "La Casita" or an engineer on the James Webb Telescope.

Physical Extension & OOH Ads

Out-of-Home (OOH)

Extending the "made by me." platform into physical spaces—connecting everyday small crafts to world-changing builds.