Amsterdam agency Dawn teams up with HAMLET’s Jara Moravec for the latest brand campaign from Dutch training institute De Baak, exploring the value of uncertainty
September 2026, Amsterdam – De Baak, the leading institute for management training in the Netherlands, has launched a new brand campaign exploring the role uncertainty can play in leadership and personal growth. The campaign builds on research from De Baak which found that, in times of uncertainty, people tend to seek clarity and solutions, even though moments of ambiguity, resistance and doubt often create valuable opportunities for growth.
Created by newly independent Amsterdam agency Dawn, the campaign turns that tension into a simple, yet unconventional invitation: ‘Focus on what’s unclear.’
Leaders are conventionally expected to be razorsharp: confident in their decisions and clear on their direction rather than hesitant, insecure or tentative. But De Baak challenges this traditional view of leadership, celebrating the power of being able to admit uncertainty. The moments when we’re questioning ourselves or unsure of the way forward can be some of the most valuable, creating space to better understand ourselves, challenge our assumptions and grow.
It’s a tension reflected in De Baak’s own research showing that 67% of the professionals surveyed feel the world is more uncertain than it was three years ago, while half say they have a greater need for calm and stability. At the same time, 83% rarely or never step outside their comfort zone, and 32% are unsure how or in what areas they want to develop. It’s this tension that sits at the heart of a quietly confident campaign: not everything that feels unclear needs to be resolved immediately.
Looking at leadership through a different lens
De Baak puts moments of uncertainty front and centre in the new campaign. The tagline – focus on what’s unclear – captures that idea, while the visuals bring it to life through a deliberately blurred lens, constantly shifting in and out of focus around the protagonist. The same approach carries through in the photographic elements which unconventionally, features out of focus images.
“We’re constantly trying to defy expectations with De Baak. Just like with previous campaigns, we’re sharing a contemporary take on leadership through the tagline and overall message. But the visual aspect is equally important; how do we make that go against convention? By shooting out of focus, we tell the story visually, but also make something that stands out.” Maarten Gooskens, copywriter at Dawn, says.
“In times of uncertainty, our instinct is often to go searching for answers. We see this reflected in our research too. But through our training, people discover that ambiguity, resistance and noise can actually offer the greatest opportunities for growth,” Justine Passera, Manager Marketing & Communications at De Baak says. “We want people to recognise the potential in these moments. Uncertainty can be a real source of strength, not weakness.”
Jara Moravec, director, HAMLET added: “Shooting a story that’s mostly out of focus is a pretty wild premise. It really messes with your head because you’re having to frame for the background instead of the subject. It was a really fascinating way to shoot. You block the scene once, then shoot it again and again from different angles. The whole process becomes much more about the composition and the space around the action than the action itself.”
Credits
Title: Focus
Client: De Baak
Manager Marketing & Communications at De Baak: Justine Passera
Agency: Dawn, Amsterdam
Production Company: HAMLET
Director: Jara Moravec
Photographer: Stig De Block
Executive Producers: Ruben Goots, Jason Felstead, Julie Bosteels
Producer: Janne Aerts, Pim Verhaert
Post-Producer: Basile van der Straten
Director of Photography: Kamiel Doens
Casting: We Want You
Art direction: Cachet, Jara Vlaeminckx
Styling: Fiona Rombaut, Gudrun Wylleman
Make-up: Madona Iremashvili
Editor: Robin De Praetere
Online editor: Sovan-Nicolas Sean
Post-production Cy: Frames, Brussels
Color Grader: Nadia Khairat
VFX Company: Frames, Brussels
Sound Design: Soundcircus
