Originally in response to the rise of anti-Asian violence, the team at Wieden+Kennedy created a thought-piece film, “Call It COVID,” in 2020. It began as a self-initiated project with no client, no brief, and no budget–and became a Cannes Lions award-winning film that earned millions of dollars in donated support from a number of partners and influencers.
Now this time around, W+K–again sans a client–has released a follow-up film titled “The Myth.” In this case the myth is that of The Model Minority, a false narrative weaponizing Asian Americans against other ethnic groups.
Like “Call it COVID,” the new film is born from the Asian experience but it bridges the conversations that are currently happening in silos. Conversations about what it means not just to be Asian but to be Black. Latinx. Indigenous. American. By acknowledging the thing that affects us all: The Model Minority Myth. The Model Minority Myth has told us not only what Asian Americans are, but what other racial and ethnic groups are by comparison.
In a time of unprecedented unrest and uprooting, this film dispels the myth keeping us apart, and reclaims what it has deprived us of: belonging. Belonging to a country. Belonging to a community. Belonging to ourselves. It poses the idea of belonging not as something to be fought and won, but instead, something to be offered and accepted. Between each other, and within ourselves.
“The Myth” was directed and shot by Jackie Bao via Biscuit Filmworks.
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Credits
Agency W+K Portland Titania Tran, creative director, writer & voice; Dan Koo, creative director, art director; Hayley Goggin, Mimi Munoz, executive producers; Mauricio Granado, sr. producer lead; Jason Kreher, house mother; Orlee Tatarka, head of production; Alicia Kuna, studio manager; Hui Chen Ou Yang, sr. studio designer. Production Biscuit Filmworks Jackie Bao, director/DP; Isaiah Seret, creative director; Shawn Lacy, partner/managing director; Jordana Freydberg, exec producer; Sean Moody, head of production; Quentin Lee, Stanley Yung, producers; Han Yan, production supervisor; Michael B. Williams; assistant production supervisor; Aaron Shershow, unit production manager; Hanrui Wang, production designer. Editorial Joint JB Jacobs, editor; Ling Chua, associate editor; Kathleen Russell, exec producer; Catherine Liu, head of production; Jenny Greenfield, sr. post producer. VFX/Finish Joint Stefan Smith, VFX CD/lead Flame; Kevin Alfoldy, finish artist; Nirad “bugs” Russell, exec producer; Catherine Liu, head of production; Zai Outlaw, VFX coordinator. Music Supervision Walker Sara Matarazzo, Stephanie Pigott, exec producers; Danielle Soury, sr. producer; Wilson Trouve, composer. Cartoon Music Company & Additional Music Score A Score Jordan Passman, owner/EP. Audio Joint Natalie Huizenga, audio mixer and composition & arrangement; Candace Mortier, associate audio engineer; Kathleen Russell, exec producer; Catherine Liu, head of production; Louise Woodward, audio producer, and composition & arrangement. Telecine Company 3 Tom Poole, colorist; Kevin Breheny, telecine producer. Found Footage Center for Asian American Media: Memories to Light; KFMB CBS 8
Childhood Cancer Canada (CCC) is launching a national brand platform and awareness campaign, “Let’s Face the Unimaginable,” developed by independent agency The Garden, part of Humanise Collective. The work challenges the reflexive response many people have when confronted with childhood cancer--“I can’t imagine”--and seeks to reframe public understanding of the lifelong, family-wide realities that follow.
Right now, more than 10,000 families in Canada are caring for a child with cancer, and an average of six children are diagnosed every day. CCC is the national organization in Canada focused exclusively on children’s cancer, supporting families through awareness, research funding, and long-term emotional and financial care.
At the center of the campaign is a hero film that asks viewers to pause and imagine the unimaginable, the cumulative impact of childhood cancer beyond the moment of diagnosis, from job loss and financial strain to relocation, isolation, and the emotional toll carried by parents and siblings alike. Defined by raw, unguarded moments, the film captures how childhood cancer continues to shape family life long after diagnosis.
Directed by Jason van Bruggen of Suneeva, the film features real CCC families at various stages of treatment and recovery. Shot with a deliberately small, intimate crew, the production prioritized sensitivity and trust, drawing directly from families’ lived experiences to shape the visual narrative.
“Childhood cancer is often seen as a single moment--a diagnosis or a hospital stay--without fully understanding the ripple effects it creates for entire families,” said Kyle Smith, director of development, CCC. “At Childhood Cancer Canada, we face those realities every day alongside... Read More
