Retool helps teams build internal tools for real businesses, which means real data, real workflows, real permissions, real security requirements, and real reasons not to “just vibe code it.”

As AI made software creation feel faster and more accessible, Retool needed a campaign that could celebrate the speed of building without ignoring the seriousness of building for the enterprise.

We created Inside the Lines, a brand campaign built around a simple tension: anyone can color outside the lines, but enterprise apps need guardrails.

The campaign used kid-drawn visuals, handmade textures, and playful production choices to make a serious point feel instantly gettable. The world looked loose, messy, and charming. The message underneath was much sharper: building fast only matters if what you build can actually be trusted.

Across video, OOH, paid social, display, podcasts, and landing page experiences, we built a campaign system that gave Retool a more ownable way to talk about secure, scalable app development. Less “AI can make anything.” More “great, but can it survive procurement?”

Early results showed strong traction across both awareness and efficiency. Branded mentions in LLM search increased by roughly 35%, direct traffic to the homepage rose by about 21%, and branded search impressions were up 20%. Compared to Retool’s previous campaign, Inside the Lines delivered 27% lower CPMs, 55% lower CPCs, and roughly 2–3x more sessions per dollar.

A campaign about staying inside the lines ended up moving the brand somewhere new. Convenient.