Your YOUtility – JEA 2022 | Clapboard Ad Archive

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Your Community. Your YOUtility - JEA | Clapboard Ad Archive

Your Community. Your YOUtility from Jacksonville-based JEA positions this leading public utility as an engaged force within Northeast Florida’s economic and social infrastructure, leveraging agency St. John’s creative direction to reimagine the relationship between a utility provider and its service area in the Year 2022. At the heart of this government sector campaign is a focus on authentic Presenter Testimonial storytelling — an approach that sits squarely within FORMAT#7—Presenter Testimonial on the Clapboard taxonomy — where real customers, employees, and business partners convey their lived experiences of JEA’s impact. The narrative is unfiltered and direct, bypassing abstract claims to deliver tangible proof points: support for local businesses through tailored programs, rebates, energy-saving initiatives, solar opportunities, and specialized account management tools receive center stage via first-person accounts. The creative choice to foreground Northeast Florida’s diverse community voices while humanizing the utility’s influence goes beyond mere functional messaging; it affirms JEA’s role not just as an infrastructure provider but as an invested community partner, intent on driving growth and genuine connection across more than 465,000 electric, 350,000 water, and 270,000 wastewater customers. St. John’s filmic execution enables the utility’s support for small businesses and community prosperity to be both seen and felt — activating the audience’s desire for brands that lead with transparency and live their purpose. Where others in the utility category might rely on product-forward demonstrations or future-gazing innovation pledges, JEA’s campaign puts faces, names, and stories to the complex machinery of local energy and water provision, establishing trust and a sense of shared progress. Business owners describe how rebate offers and hands-on assistance translate into everyday operational advantages, employees speak to the pride of powering Jacksonville’s neighborhoods, and partners point to collaborations that strengthen the region’s economic fabric. This grounded testimonial architecture is further amplified across digital channels, including robust use of YouTube and social platforms, reinforcing both awareness and a sense of accessibility. The campaign earns 53/100 in Clapboard’s global creative archive. As Florida’s competitive utilities landscape pivots toward innovation, sustainability, and evolving customer expectations, Your Community. Your YOUtility signals that the future of utility branding in the government sphere lies with those willing to put authenticity, local impact, and mutual prosperity on film.

Credits

Client

JEA

Agency

St. John

Chief Creative Officer

Peter Herbst

Creative Director

Jen Domaradski, Kristen Bankert

Stills Photographer

Jesse Brantman

Production House

Nectar Studios

Producer

Mark Claywell

Crew

Bernie Cassar, Audree Verduin, Steve Testagrossa, Gabe Lasera, Katey Weeks

Cinematographer

Stew Plemmons

Post Production House

Nectar Studios

Editors

Stew Plemmons, Michael Hancock

Music

PremiumBeat, MusicBed

Account Management

Chris Heydt, Tony Mattar

Category Mind Map

48%

The “Your Community. Your YOUtility.” campaign by JEA, created by St. John, positions the utility as a committed community partner that goes beyond basic service provision. The brand proposition centers on demonstrating JEA’s integral role in supporting local growth through real, relatable stories from customers, employees, and partners. It emphasizes the utility’s dedication to fostering strong relationships that enhance the overall customer experience while showcasing tangible benefits such as rebates, energy-saving initiatives, and tailored support for small businesses. By humanizing the utility’s impact, the campaign aims to build trust and awareness around JEA’s broader community-focused programs. Strategically, the campaign leverages a narrative approach grounded in authentic testimonials, which aligns with the audience’s desire for genuine connection and transparency from service providers. It targets Northeast Florida’s local business owners and community members by highlighting programs that directly support economic growth and sustainability, addressing their needs for practical, value-added assistance. The creative angle involves storytelling that personifies the utility’s influence, making it relevant and relatable rather than abstract or purely functional. This insight into the community’s interests and values informs the campaign’s focus on real experiences, reinforcing JEA’s role as a foundational and proactive presence in the region’s development and well-being.

FORMAT#7 PRESENTER TESTIMONIAL — A person explains the product’s benefits directly to the audience. This campaign most closely aligns with the Presenter Testimonial format. The core premise is built around real faces—customers, employees, and partners—sharing their direct experiences and showcasing the tangible impact JEA has on the community. The campaign uses authentic testimonials to communicate specific benefits—such as support for local businesses, rebates, energy-saving programs, and account management tools—putting the human stories front and center rather than structuring a dramatic narrative with a traditional story arc or relying on symbolic, celebrity-driven, or exaggerated creative devices.

1. Florida Power & Light (FPL) – Positioned as a customer-centric utility leader focused on renewable energy and reliable service, FPL emphasizes innovation and sustainability to deliver affordable and clean power while investing heavily in grid modernization and community resilience across Florida. 2. Duke Energy – Duke Energy differentiates itself through its commitment to clean energy transition and enhanced customer engagement, promoting carbon reduction goals and integrating advanced technologies to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy solutions in multiple states including Florida. 3. Tampa Electric (TECO) – TECO positions itself as a community-focused utility that balances affordable energy delivery with environmental stewardship, supporting local economic growth and infrastructure improvements while expanding its renewable energy portfolio and smart grid capabilities. 4. Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) – OUC highlights its local government roots and customer ownership structure, emphasizing personalized service, innovation in clean energy generation, and community investment to foster economic and environmental sustainability. 5. Seminole Electric Cooperative – Seminole Electric stands out by providing wholesale power to member cooperatives, focusing on cooperative values, cost-effective and reliable energy supply, and advancing renewable energy integration to support sustainable community development in Florida.

Q: What is Your Community. Your YOUtility about? A: Your Community. Your YOUtility is a 2022 campaign created by St. John for JEA, the community-owned utility serving Northeast Florida. Developed for the United States market, the campaign centers on a series of five film spots featuring authentic testimonials from real customers, employees, and partners. Its core creative idea is to humanize JEA’s impact by showcasing the tangible ways the utility supports local businesses and fosters community growth. By highlighting personal stories and practical benefits, the campaign positions JEA as an invested partner in the region’s economic and social development. Q: What creative device does Your Community. Your YOUtility use? A: Your Community. Your YOUtility employs the Presenter Testimonial format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. This approach places real customers, employees, and partners at the forefront, allowing them to directly explain and endorse the benefits of JEA’s programs to the audience. Rather than relying on dramatized narratives or celebrity endorsements, the campaign leverages authentic, first-person accounts to communicate its message. This format is designed to build credibility and relatability, making the utility’s impact both accessible and trustworthy to viewers. Q: What is the campaign proposition for Your Community. Your YOUtility? A: The campaign proposition for Your Community. Your YOUtility positions JEA as a committed community partner that extends beyond basic utility service. Targeting local business owners and community members in Northeast Florida, the campaign emphasizes JEA’s dedication to fostering strong relationships and supporting regional growth. By highlighting programs such as rebates, energy-saving initiatives, and tailored support for small businesses, JEA communicates its role in enhancing the customer experience and driving economic sustainability. This strategic positioning aims to build trust and awareness around JEA’s broader community-focused mission within the government utility sector. Q: How does Your Community. Your YOUtility rank in Clapboard's archive? A: Your Community. Your YOUtility holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 53/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, execution quality, and cultural relevance as assessed by Clapboard’s curatorial standards. Q: Who are the competitors in JEA's category? A: In JEA’s category, key competitors include Florida Power & Light, which is positioned as a customer-centric utility leader emphasizing renewable energy and grid modernization; Duke Energy, known for its commitment to clean energy transition and advanced customer engagement; Tampa Electric, which balances affordable energy with environmental stewardship and infrastructure investment; Orlando Utilities Commission, which leverages its local government ownership and focus on personalized service and innovation; and Seminole Electric Cooperative, which provides wholesale power with an emphasis on cooperative values and sustainable community development across Florida.