Wieden+Kennedy’s Portland and NY offices teamed on this “See Us Unite” PSA for The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), the newly formed organization launched to improve advocacy for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and combat the hate and violence against the AAPI community that has grown at an alarming rate as of late.
The PSA premiered during the recent primetime global TV special, See Us Unite for Change–The Asian American Foundation in service of the AAPI Community, hosted by Ken Jeong to help drive awareness and understanding of the AAPI experience.
Credits
Client The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) Agency Wieden+Kennedy Portland & New York Karl Leiberman, executive creative director; Kevin Kaminishi, art director; Gino Click, copywriter; Nick Setounski, Chris Whalley, directors of production; Jasmine Sarbaz, producer. Footage Research Nickerson Research, Inc., research & clearance. Editorial Joint NY Laura Bermudez, editor; Spencer Cohen, assistant editor; Kari Ickert, sr. post producer; Michelle Carman, post exec producer. VFX The Mill Vi Nguyen, 2D lead artist; Nick Pfister, 2D artist; Sean O’Loughlin, associate producer; Luis Martin, production supervisor. Color Company 3 Keith Raisch, colorist; Anna Kelman, producer. Music APM Music, LLC; Track Title–”Emotive Hope,” composed by Thomas Richard, Peter Howe and Stephen Christopher Tait. Sound Design/Mix Sonic Union Rob McIver, audio mixer/sound engineer; Justine Cortale, studio director; Pat Sullivan, head of production.
Rappers Khuli Chana, Blxckie and 25K team up with Patriot Films director Sam Coleman, who is repped by Ridley Scott Associates (RSA) stateside, to celebrate the power of inspiration for KFC Streetwise and Ogilvy Johannesburg.
Every groundbreaking artist has a story, a moment of inspiration that drives their next wave of creativity. But this doesn’t happen in isolation--original needs to feed original. “There’s a wealth of creative energy bubbling up in the youth of South Africa,” said Coleman. “Everyone is out to try and make a dent in the creative landscape. Inspiration is everywhere you look and all a creative person needs is that spark to go to the next level.”
This 90-second spot features a stellar cast of South African artists riffing off each other, and while KFC Streetwise has long been a mainstay of the country’s youth culture, an authentic approach was critical. Ogilvy turned to Coleman whose experience includes fashion and street culture.
Notable South African creators who appear in the commercial film include Kind Kid toymaker Sanele Qwabe, “Nail Pimp” Nailed Ntswembu, the Island Gals skaters, fashion designer Ruberto Scholtz, visual director Rowan Sakarombe, custom car pimper Ofentse Mphatsoe and metal band Botswana Metalheads. The transitions from one innovator to another were important considerations for Coleman. He explained, “You’re really talking about a ripple effect and how one idea sparks another, so I wanted to create seamless uninterrupted progressions that would evoke that feeling of inspiration and flow.”
KFC’s chief marketing officer Grant Macpherson said, “From a brand perspective, I want to work with directors who have a strong, passionate point of view – someone who brings bold... Read More
