Director Sheldon Candis of A Common Thread tells the stories of three women living their dreams in a sequel to Ford’s celebrated “Born to Roll” campaign from agencies Global Team Blue and UniWorld Group. As with the original series, which were also directed by Candis, the new sports profile strong African-American women of exceptional talent and determination: artist Georgie Nakima, firefighter Nikkoel Gilmore and doctor Kirstie Cunningham.
Candis captures the spirit of the women through striking and emotional visuals. The Gilmore spot evokes her courage as a member of a fire fighting unit, where she’s the only woman, and as a single mom. “Our aim was to capture the uniqueness of these black women,” Candis says. “Nikkoel makes incredible sacrifices in her daily duties as a firefighter, surviving each day to return home and care for her child. Dr. Cunningham is an OB/GYN. She delivers babies! It was awesome to portray that on screen.” Shots of the women with their Ford vehicles are woven seamlessly into the narrative.
All three spots were shot on location in Atlanta and feature some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. The Nakima spot was shot in an archaic brick train terminal in the city’s historic Pullman Yard. The artist is portrayed painting a colorful mural on one of the building’s interior walls. “That building was a wonderful discovery by our location manager, Dodd Dickers, Candis recalls. “We were the last production to shoot there as it was about to be redeveloped as a boutique hotel. It was a wonderful, beautiful and special place.”
Candis believes the campaign makes a powerful and uplifting statement about female empowerment that is both timely and timeless. “As someone who grew up in his mother’s hair salon, I’ve been around a lot of remarkable, strong women,” he says. “I felt a kindred spirit with these women and I was grateful to have the opportunity to share their stories with the world.”
A Common Thread is located at 4081 Redwood Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90066. For more information, call 310.823.7300 or visit http://www.acommonthread.tv
