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.
CreditsAgency 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
Top Spot of the Week: Samsung, BBH Singapore, Director Rhys Thomas Get Fit For A Surf Holiday
Samsung’s new global campaign from BBH Singapore, featuring Samsung Health and Galaxy AI, tells the story of a young professional couple who compete to get fit for a surf holiday.
Titled “A Samsung Health Story: Racing to Fiji,” this film taps into Gen Z’s wellness dilemma and the fact that they can often find health information overwhelming; in particular, BBH Singapore took inspiration from young people who reference their “quarter life crisis” on social media. This film tells the story of Stacey and Steve who decide to go surfing in Fiji, something they did five years ago but haven’t done since they started their jobs. However, there’s one problem: they need to get fitter first.
Featuring a range of Galaxy products powered by Galaxy AI, they rebuild their fitness to prepare for the trip, competing playfully to spur each other on. We see them comparing their Energy Scores (a new feature on the Samsung Health app), recording their runs and swims on their Samsung Galaxy Watches, trying and failing to get fit at work and on their commutes and striving to improve in the run up to the trip. When they get there, however, there’s a fun twist, and the film ends on a cliffhanger.
The ad is expected to be the first in a series, which will develop the characters and their “world” in future episodes. This longform (two-and-a-half-minute) version of the spot delves deeper into the storytelling, in a fresh approach for Samsung’s product campaigns, while the shorter edits focus on driving exposure to specific features.
BBH Singapore also leaned into the entertainment aspect of the spot; it was directed by comedic specialist Rhys Thomas at Stink Films, who has a major TV background. Best known for his work on Saturday Night... Read More