Animation lands key messages to Tarmac’s frontline colleagues

Tarmac is a major UK construction materials business with a predominantly frontline workforce spread across hundreds of sites.

Each year, colleagues have been invited to take part in Your Voice, the engagement survey run by parent company CRH. Participation wasn’t mandatory, and frontline response rates had historically lagged behind the rest of the business.

Working closely with Tarmac’s Internal Communications team, 44 Communications created a short, story‑led animation designed specifically for frontline audiences. Built around a simple ‘sliding doors’ idea, the film showed one colleague taking the time to contribute and engage, and one who ignored the results.

Grounded in real examples of change driven by previous feedback, the animation focused on issues that mattered on site, from wellbeing and recognition to development opportunities. It was designed to work with or without sound – using strong visuals, clear colours and straightforward storytelling. Familiar brand characters were refreshed to feel more modern and relatable, while careful attention to health and safety detail helped build trust with site‑based audiences.