Inside access: The Sea Wall that saved a nation

SOME projects don’t just protect communities — they define them.

The Afsluitdijk is one of Europe’s most important pieces of flood defence infrastructure: a 32-kilometre sea wall that has safeguarded the Netherlands for nearly a century. Today, it is undergoing a major climate-resilience upgrade to withstand stronger storms, rising sea levels, and the demands of the future.

The scale and complexity of this work is immense. From reinforcing the dyke with tens of thousands of concrete armour blocks to expanding locks and building new pumping stations, every decision must be coordinated with precision across designers, engineers, and contractors working from multiple locations.

The B1M used long-form storytelling to bring that complexity to life — showing how modern digital delivery underpins one of the most critical infrastructure upgrades in Europe. By combining on-site access with powerful editorial framing, we were able to show not just what was happening along the Afsluitdijk, but how digital coordination is helping teams deliver it safely, efficiently, and at scale.

Here’s how we made it happen.

Client

Autodesk, the global leader in design and construction software, partnered with The B1M to showcase how connected digital workflows support the delivery of some of the world’s most ambitious infrastructure and climate-resilience projects.

Objective

Autodesk engaged The B1M to create a flagship storytelling asset that would:

• Position Autodesk at the centre of modern digital design and construction
• Reach and influence senior decision-makers across the global AEC sector
• Show Autodesk technology in real-world, high-stakes environments
• Demonstrate collaboration across large, geographically distributed teams
• Build trusted brand affinity through credible editorial storytelling
  

The goal was to align Autodesk’s technology with a landmark infrastructure programme, showing its value in context rather than in a traditional product-marketing environment.

Approach

The B1M produced a premium long-form documentary exploring the delivery of the Afsluitdijk upgrade and the role of digital coordination in reducing risk, improving clarity and supporting decision-making across the project team.

The film combined:

• High-end cinematography capturing the scale of the Afsluitdijk
• On-site access with engineers and delivery teams
• Clear editorial framing of the project’s challenges and ambition
• Integrated storytelling showing Autodesk used within real workflows

Key deliverables included:

• A flagship long-form documentary published on The B1M’s 3.8M-subscriber YouTube channel
• On-screen product integration showing Autodesk in context
• Short-form cut-downs for wider social distribution
• A pinned CTA driving qualified viewers to Autodesk platforms and resources
• Global amplification across construction, engineering and infrastructure audiences

Results

The campaign delivered exceptional awareness, engagement and industry-level impact.

Performance highlights:

• 3.6 million+ views
• 50 million+ impressions
• 52,000+ likes
• 2,000+ comments from AEC professionals
• 190,000+ hours watched

This became one of the strongest-performing branded documentaries and a powerful asset for Autodesk.

Audience Impact

The documentary:

• Reached a highly qualified, deeply engaged global AEC audience
• Positioned Autodesk within a credible, mission-critical project environment
• Sparked discussion around resilience, climate adaptation and digital delivery
• Built measurable trust and brand alignment through editorial integrity
• Showed Autodesk as an enabler of collaboration, accuracy and efficiency

The content resonated because it felt real — not like an advertisement, but a story about people solving complex engineering challenges.

Why It Worked

• Editorial Integrity: The project story came first, with Autodesk woven in naturally.
• Digital Site Access: Real environments, real teams, real workflows.
• Distribution Power: The B1M’s scale and reputation delivered reach traditional B2B cannot.
• Audience Alignment: Construction professionals already trust The B1M.
• Contextual Value: The documentary showed Autodesk’s impact rather than simply describing it.

Outcome

The documentary strengthened Autodesk’s positioning as a leader in digital design and construction, while demonstrating the power of long-form, editorially led storytelling to influence AEC decision-makers at scale.

It reinforced that when trusted storytelling, meaningful project access and global distribution come together, brands can connect with the people shaping the built world in a way that feels authentic, relevant and commercially powerful.

If you're ready to reach millions of engaged AEC professionals, get in touch with me here and I will send over our partnership options and availability.