It’s great to have a day off. But even greater when you consider why. Last week, for the first time, our parent company recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday. And it’s recognition that’s been long overdue given what Dr. King has meant—and continues to mean —to our society.
Fittingly, this week’s lead entry in "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery (see p. 13) is a spot designed to help remind us of that significance. For the 11th straight year, DDB Seattle has created a campaign in order to reflect the ongoing relevance and importance of Dr. King’s vision. For the first 10 of those years, DDB and The Seattle Times teamed on the campaign. This time around, the Times funneled its resources to some other community commitments, so DDB decided to proceed on its own.
Titled "Bus," the spot was shot by director Michael Karbelnikoff of bicoastal HKM Productions, from the perspective of a person boarding a public bus. At the ad’s conclusion, we realize that the POV is that of Rosa Parks, the African-American woman who refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus on a fateful day in December 1955. Her action led to the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott.
DDB Seattle recreated this historic moment in the civil rights movement championed by Dr. King. The spot concludes with the supered words, "Never move from what is right."
Besides Dr. King’s accomplishments, DDB Seattle also wondered about what the reverend might have achieved had he not been assassinated. In a print ad, a series of obituaries is seen on a newspaper page. Dr. King’s obit is the longest and the last to appear, followed by columns of white space. At the bottom of the page is a sentence that simply reads, "Imagine how much more could have been written."
A radio spot, "Gangster," has a man talking about various people’s reactions upon seeing him—from locking their doors when he walks by their cars, to being startled when he asks for the time of day. The man tries to piece together the reason people act this way. He comes to the conclusion that it’s the color of his skin. Finally, he asks listeners, "Need a day to think about it? Try January 15th. It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day."
"Our agency has supported and promoted this cause for more than a decade now, and we’ve produced some terrific, award-winning work," said DDB Seattle president Ron Elgin. "But I can honestly say that this year’s campaign is by far the most moving we’ve ever produced."
Perhaps the outdoor and transit ad—which appropriately has appeared across the side of public buses—sums it up best by underscoring the fact that Dr. King’s legacy lives on. The poster shows the face of Dr. King alongside the copy "(1929- )." That is followed by the phrase "Martin Luther King Jr. Day is January 15th."
The multi-faceted campaign ran during the first half of this month throughout the Pacific Northwest. The transit/outdoor work came from DDB Seattle senior art director Randy Gerda and copywriter Jeff Bossin. Gerda served in the same capacity on the TV spot, teaming with senior copywriter Eric Gutierrez and producer Heidi Molden. Writer Chris Halas and producer Molden combined on the radio commercial. And the duo bringing us the newspaper obit piece consisted of art director John Williamson and copywriter Greg Lowe.
