In the wake of ongoing reports about AAPI hate crimes, Wieden+Kennedy has released the video above in an effort to raise awareness. Fandom has partnered with Wieden+Kennedy to amplify this important message.
Read on for more on the creation of the video and its intent.
CALL IT COVID
Around this time last year, creative advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy’s Asian-American Affinity group created a powerful message to convey how they were being affected by Covid-19.
As we have seen almost daily, the message is more relevant than ever. Hate crimes against the Asian-American community surged by nearly 150% in 2020.
There is an urgent need to spread awareness.
The individuals at Wieden+Kennedy who created this film realized they had a platform and resources—and a responsibility to use them to highlight what was happening in their community. To tell their story. Words are powerful.
This creative crew and agency created new versions of the film and have re-launched it this past week.
Generous networks and platforms have donated air-time and media space to get the message seen, and influencers like Jeremy Lin, Olivia Munn, and Alexis Ohanian have shared it on social media.
The goal is to encourage conversation in all of our communities and again, spread awareness. To date, the films have been seen by over a million people and counting.
It’s really a testament to creativity and the role storytelling can play in opening people’s hearts and minds.
Statement from Creative Director, Titania Tran:
“The film ends with the question, “What will you say, when you can’t say you didn’t know?” We wanted people to sit with that discomfort. Discomfort alerts us that something is wrong. It tells us, if we want to escape this feeling, we need to do something about it. Discomfort motivates change.
It would be a mistake then, to absolve that discomfort too quickly. Because the truth is, there is no single solution to this problem. Donating, or volunteering, or reporting a crime…those things help, but they don’t tackle the root of the problem. The problem — the thing that motivates the type of language that translates to violence against our community — runs much deeper.
Maybe we’re so eager for solutions, because we’re so afraid of looking at ourselves. What happens, then, when we’re not presented solutions? We’d be forced to look at the only thing available to us: ourselves. If we can recognize ourselves as part of the problem, then we can start to see ourselves as part of the solution.
This piece isn’t meant to tell people exactly what to do. This piece presents a choice. That’s the call to action: You decide the kind of person you want to be.”
We ask that people join in sharing this important message using hashtags #callitcovid, #stopasianhate, #stopaapihate.
YouTube: @Call it Covid
Instagram: @callitcovid
Twitter: @callitcovid
TikTok: @Callitcovid
Website: Callitcovid.com
About Wieden+Kennedy
Wieden+Kennedy, founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1982, is an independent, privately held global creative company with offices in Amsterdam, Delhi, London, New York City, Portland, São Paulo, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Wieden+Kennedy works with some of the world’s most innovative brands to make best-in-class creative advertising and communications.
