In some cases, redundancy is a necessity. A prime case in point entails two public service spots-one that debuted right after, and in response to, the Sept. 11 tragedy; and the other which recently premiered in Virginia. The latter, titled "Airplane," is the lead entry in this week’s "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery (p. 11).
"Airplane" shows us a man who suspects a fellow passenger of being a terrorist. That suspicion is based on the passenger’s appearance—he is wearing a turban and appears to be of Middle-Eastern descent.
While the guy who’s wary of the passenger behaves in a civil manner toward him, the spot reveals his inner most fears, which are unfounded yet run rampant.
"Airplane" was sponsored by A More Perfect Union, which has been formed by three groups: the University of Richmond (Va.) Office of the Chaplaincy, the Council for America’s First Freedom and KARAMAH: Muslim Women Law-yers for Human Rights. A More Perfect Union is funded by the September 11th Anti-Bias Project, which is a joint venture of the National Conference for Community and Justice and the Chevron/Texaco Foundation. The Anti-Bias Project was designed to identify and support innovative and replicable approaches to address the bias, bigotry and racism being faced by those individuals and groups who have experienced heightened discrimination in the wake of Sept. 11.
"Airplane" was conceived by a team at agency Siddall, Richmond, and directed by Whitey Bel-Air III of philsfilms, Venice, Calif. The spot’s creators hope to see the ad gain airplay throughout the country. They believe the message to be particularly poignant as the third year anniversary of the Sept. 11 tragedy approaches.
The More Perfect Union public service message reminds me of the spirit captured by the earlier alluded to spot, "I Am an American," which first aired nearly three years ago, just nine days after Sept. 11. Shooting started on Sept. 13, ’01.
GSD&M, Austin, Texas, created and produced the Ad Council PSA with the help of seven production crews across the country to promote ethnic diversity and acceptance in the U.S. The concept developed in the initial days after the terrorist attacks, while GSD&M president Roy Spence and creative director Jeremy Postaer were making a 20-hour car drive back to Texas from Washington, D.C.
The :30 PSA features people of all ages and races across the country saying to the camera, "I am an American." The tagline, "E Pluribus Unum," translates as "one out of many."
Jan Wieringa, who at the time was on staff at GSD&M as its senior VP/head of broadcast production, related that "I Am an American" was created because "we wanted to help unify Americans, as some might have some prejudice because of [the Sept. 11] event."
The relevance of the spot back then was painfully apparent. For example, the Sept. 21, ’01 edition of The New York Post cited more than 70 reported crimes of bias directed at people who looked Middle Eastern in New York City alone. Those incidents ranged from threats to vandalism to violence.
Three years later, the problem still exists, at times encompassing subtler forms of prejudice. The message of "I Am An American" remains an essential one to convey. And a number of spots have since done just that, including most recently, "Airplane." While we would always advise you to turn to our "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery to see noteworthy creative work that might otherwise not gain the recognition it deserves, this week that suggestion carries added weight, given the importance of the issue "Airplane" attempts to address.
