Last year, we had the opportunity to take on one of the most ambitious projects we’ve worked on at Benco. In partnership with Sourceability, we set out to tell a global story — one that reflects not just what they do, but how consistently they do it, no matter where they are in the world.

I’m scrunched in the back of a minivan as old Benin City funk plays through the radio, the AC struggling to cool the packed van. My nausea rises as our Nigerian driver, Osas, swerves around potholes and dodges people darting into the street selling snacks and water.

A military officer sits beside me in a green uniform, a matching beret, and an AK-47 slung across his chest. He’s here to keep us safe and guide us through roadblocks across the city. He must be sweltering in that uniform—but I guess the locals are used to the heat.

I’m traveling with a group of five other Americans as we make our way to visit the home of a young boy in the Access 2 Success (A2S) program. It’s our first time outside the gates of the hotel or the youth center. We’re about to meet Jothan and his family.

Why audiences trust peers more than brands — and how to show that visually

We’ve all felt it.

You open a social app to catch up with friends, see what people are up to, or kill a few minutes—and you’re immediately surrounded by marketing. Social platforms didn’t start as advertising channels; they started as places for human connection. Over time, brands followed attention into these spaces, not because audiences asked for more ads, but because people were already there. That shift matters. When marketing shows up in an environment designed for social interaction, the content that earns trust isn’t the loudest or most polished—it’s the content that feels human.