Three Films Chronicle IBM’s Century of Innovation

ARMONK, N.Y. - IBM is marking its 100th year as a company of innovators and inventions through a series of documentary films that chronicle the ways in which the company has changed the world through scientific and technology achievements and the “IBMers” who have been behind those breakthroughs.

The three films take the viewer on a series of journeys through IBM’s past, present and future. The first film “100 x 100,” features one hundred people who describe an IBM achievement that took place the year they were born. Joe Pytka, one of the most influential and prolific commercial directors, shot the “100 x 100” film. The second film, “They Were There,” shot by Oscar-winning documentary director Errol Morris with music by famed composer Philip Glass, examines the leaders and inventors behind some of IBM’s most noteworthy contributions such as the invention of the UPC code, helping put a man on the moon and the launch of the first mainframe computer. The third film, “Wild Ducks” now being filmed by Oscar-winning Davis Guggenheim, director of “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Waiting for Superman,” seeks to capture the spirit of invention and risk that defines the character of IBM.

“We are a company with a rich heritage of creative and forward thinkers who have made a profound impact on the world,” said Ann Rubin, vice president, brand expression and global advertising, IBM. “While each Centennial film has a specific purpose, each one represents a way for us to celebrate the people who have made IBM great, and speaks to IBM’s legacy of innovation.”

Created by longtime agency partner Ogilvy & Mather, the film series was produced to capture the ways IBM has changed the world. The films look back at IBM’s earliest developments in computers to the ubiquitous bar codes on everyday products, to the world-changing breakthroughs in computer science.

“When these stories are told in the voices of IBM employees, the real emotional depth and significance of these achievements is evident,” explained Mike Hahn, Creative Director at Ogilvy. His partner Ryan Blank added, “IBM’s real culture is in the values of its people. That’s what this series is all about. The technology achievements are matched by the focus the company has on employees and its business leadership in hiring disabled workers, promoting and training women, even being the first company to provide life insurance and other benefits.”

About Ogilvy & Mather
Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. Through its specialty units, the company provides a comprehensive range of marketing services including: advertising; public relations and public affairs; shopper and retail marketing; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion, relationship marketing and digital production. Ogilvy & Mather services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 450 offices in 120 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit www.ogilvy.com.

About IBM
To find out more information on IBM’s Centennial, visit www.ibm100.com.