An actor was hired by a large Dutch bank to tour the country posing as an American communications expert named Bradford Michaels in order to encourage more open communication within the bank's "closed corporate culture". Over the course of three weeks, Michaels gave eccentric speeches to over 22,000 employees, making provocative statements. Although employees believed Michaels was real, he was actually a fictional character conceived as part of a experiment to promote more openness within the organization.