In a 180-degree departure from the frenetic, outlandish, attention-grabbing spots designed to call attention to a Web site, this :30 provides a thoughtful, philosophical rationale for clicking onto www.decadeoftheheart.com. Promoting the Fund For Global Awakening (FFGA), the PSA opens on the moon ascending, and then segues to a time-lapse scene of hustle and bustle on a city street. As we see vignettes of people from different walks of life, we also hear voices of equally varied life experiences, all discussing feelings of anger.
"For a while, we love our anger," begins the voiceover.
"It makes us feel alive," chimes in another voice.
"Then anger turns on us, settles in our souls and pulls a curtain over our eyes and says, 'Now see everything through me,'" relates a series of voices. "Anger takes joy as its prisoner," continues another voiceover. "It keeps us low and cautious and afraid and quiet." A second voice repeats the words "cautious," "afraid" and "quiet" right after each is uttered in the original sentence.
Over the final scene of a woman holding a child, the voiceover resumes, "And the only thing it [anger] fears is forgiveness." The spot is then tagged with the Web site address.
The nonprofit FFGA is designed to promote tolerance among people as well as a positive vision for the future. The organization plans to use the spots to help get its message across to the public. San Francisco-based Amazon Advertising and Roaring Tiger Films, respectively, conceptualized and produced "Beyond Anger" and two other spots. The FFGA hopes to gain corporate sponsorship for the PSAs, ensuring their airtime.
The creative ensemble at Amazon consisted of creative director/copywriter Lynda Pearson, art director Ken Woodard and producer Amanda Moody. Woodard was the director on the package of PSAs, via Roaring Tiger Films. His support team included executive producer Carey Crosby, head of production Mat Lundberg and producer Ali Goldstone. Bobby Bukowski served as DP.
Freelancer Bobby Proctor edited the campaign via Phoenix Editorial, San Francisco. Proctor has since joined Phoenix. Also working on the PSAs were Phoenix's online/Smoke editor John Crossley and executive producer Lisa Hinman. Freelancer Eli Yerbury served as sound designer. Chris Lyons of Rushes/601, Los Angeles, was the colorist. Audio engineer was Mary Ellen Perry of Music Annex, San Francisco.
