With 63% of North American LGBTQ+ millennials considering becoming parents for the first time or having more children (Family Equality 2019 LGBTQ Family Building Survey), the preconceived notion of what a family looks like in America is continuing to evolve as the country moves forward—slowly but surely. Unfortunately, the LGBTQ+ path to parenthood is still full of undue complications and discrimination; for example, 11 states have laws allowing adoption and foster care agencies to turn away qualified LGBTQ+ parents.
Following the recent six-year anniversary of the Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court decision resulting in the right to marry nationwide, Family Equality members are calling on Americans to join them on their next mission of equality: helping the LGBTQ+ community navigate the journey to parenthood. The nonprofit is asking Americans to support legislation such as The Equality Act and the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act—two critical pieces of LGBTQ+ legislation that would remove barriers to the LGBTQ+ community’s path to parenthood.
Developed alongside ad agency TBWAChiatDay New York and production company Furlined, Family Equality has created Love, Lawyers & The Government, an endearing short film intended to serve as a catalyst for this continued movement. Directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon of Furlined, the film uses a memorable and engaging approach to explain the obstacles LGBTQ+ people and couples go through to build a family. The catalyst for the explanation comes as a child asks his same-sex parents where babies come from.
The film was released ahead of Parents’ Day this past Sunday (7/25).
CreditsClient Family Equality Agency TBWAChiatDay New York Chris Beresford-Hill, chief creative officer; Al Merry, executive creative director; Ashley Veltre, associate creative director, art director; Holden Rasche, associate creative director, copywriter; Sarah Arrington, sr. art director; Alli Walker, copywriter; John Doris, head of integrated production; Chris Klein, executive producer; Natasha Tkach, sr. producer; Vivian Lee, sr. motion designer-DxD; Sam Cescau, strategy lead; Nus Madraswala, strategy director; Lesley Parks, digital strategy director; Kayla Sredni, social strategist; James Sowden, chief strategy officer. Production Furlined Will Speck, Josh Gordon, directors; Diane McArter, president; Ben Davies, VP; David Thorne, sr. exec producer; Jay Wakefield, exec producer & director of production; Donald Taylor, producer; Edu Grau, DP. Editorial Cabin Graham Turner, editor; Connie Chuang, assistant editor; Michelle Dorsch, sr. producer; Liz Lydecker, head of production; Adam Becht, exec producer; Carr Schilling, managing partner. Finishing/VFX Parliament Color Company 3 Sofie Friis Borup, colorist; Julia Paskert, head of production; Alexandra Lubrano, producer. Music Mophonics, bicoastal Stephan Altman, creative director; Roberto Murguia, composer; Shelley Altman, head of production. Sound Design & Mix Screaming Penguin, New York Rob Fielack, mix & sound design; Zarina Mak, exec producer.
Director Gia Coppola Teams With Mejuri For “A New York Minute”; 1st Episode Takes Us To The Grocery Store
Mejuri, known for turning fine jewelry into an everyday luxury, has partnered with director Gia Coppola (The Last Show Girl, Palo Alto) and The Directors Bureau in Los Angeles, for the first time reimagining the brand’s story as episodic content. In a series of microfilms, co-created by Coppola and premiering following New York Fashion Week, Mejuri eschewed a typical celebrity campaign and cast us as voyeurs to a group of aspiring young women--real people, not actors--at the crossroads of their adult lives against the backdrop of New York City.
Titled “A New York Minute,” the series features five real-life friends, who include one perfectly imperfect heroine named Emma. The women celebrate ordinary moments and interactions which reveal, sometimes retrospectively, the extraordinary within the mundane. Adjacent to the brand’s own community, the 30-something year old cast includes Laura Love (Emma), Rebecca Ressler, Natalie Vall-Freed and Rozzi Crane. Mejuri’s jewelry makes an appearance as the best supporting actor.
“When I met with Gia and The Directors Bureau team, there was instant creative and personal chemistry and a natural alignment on the desire to push and blur the lines between marketing, storytelling, and the construct of what a ‘campaign’ could be,” said Jacob Jordan, chief brand officer, Mejuri. “Gia was able to push that idea into something that truly feels new and artful, with a realism and relatability that almost feels jarring. Gia was such a perfect collaborator and partner, someone I had complete trust in to be a catalyst for Mejuri’s values of celebrating women as their truest selves. I can’t wait for us to continue to tell the next chapters of this story.”
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