What Makes a Family? Turning Research Into Stories with AIFS

When the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) released their landmark research on how Australians define family, they discovered something striking: love matters more than blood. 

But how do you interpret complex survey data about evolving family structures into content that resonates with everyone from policy-makers to the general public across the country?

The answer wasn’t one video. It was two, each serving a distinct purpose in a coordinated national campaign.

The Challenge

The Australian Institute of Family Studies’ What is a Family? survey revealed findings with direct implications for how services are designed and delivered.

The research challenged long-held assumptions. 

Only 30% of participants rated legal ties or obligations as important in defining family.

LGBTQ+ respondents were almost twice as likely to view blood or genetics as unimportant. 

Younger generations placed less weight on traditional family markers, instead emphasising love and unconditional support as the universal values that define family.

As Australia’s key research body on family wellbeing, AIFS faced the challenge of turning dense survey data into content that resonated emotionally while preserving research integrity. 

This also had to support a coordinated campaign that included more than 140 media interviews.

The Audience

The campaign needed to reach multiple distinct audiences, each requiring different engagement approaches.

Policy-makers and government stakeholders needed credible, data-driven content.

Service providers required accessible insights they could apply in their daily work.

Media professionals needed compelling human stories and ready-made visual assets.

The general public, including diverse family structures, LGBTQ+ communities, and cultural and linguistic minority Australians, sought content that reflected their lived experiences. 

The Approach

We created two distinct video formats that served complementary purposes within the campaign.

The 60-second animated explainer distilled key research findings into accessible, shareable content designed for social distribution. 

Rather than leading with statistics, it opened with the question “What makes a family?” to prompt personal reflection and engagement. 

Key data points were introduced as surprising insights that challenged assumptions. 

The abstract visual style was chosen to make the content universal rather than prescriptive, while conversational phrasing translated research findings into personally relevant messages.

The live action hero video showcased authentic human stories that brought the research to life. 

Real families shared their personal definitions of family on camera through unscripted moments, creating immediacy and emotional resonance. 

Diverse family structures were represented, including chosen family, pets, and non-traditional arrangements. 

Natural lighting and familiar settings enhanced intimacy, while AIFS brand elements were integrated subtly to maintain consistency.

The Results

The videos proved valuable assets for AIFS, supporting their broader campaign and providing media-ready content that helped generate significant national coverage.

• 149 total media mentions across print, online, radio and TV
• National coverage in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, The West Australian
• 200,000+ total impressions across both video formats
• 315 total engagements across social platforms

Got research that needs to reach the right audiences?

Whether you’re translating complex findings for policy-makers, creating media-ready assets for national campaigns, or making data resonate with the communities it impacts, we’d love to help you figure it out.

Drop us a line and let’s chat about what you’re working on.