Young & Rubicam New York joined forces with MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), production house Paranoid U.S., music house Black Iris, and independent sound designer Brian Emrich to produce a powerful new public service music video that raises awareness of–and funds to combat–human trafficking. Titled “Planet Better,” the hauntingly animated video–directed by Edouard Salier of Paranoid U.S.–is driven in large part by an original song, “When Will I Feel Love,” composed by Lewis Pesacov, a producer at Black Iris, and sung by Best Coast’s lead performer Bethany Cosentino.
A little over two minutes, the video highlights the dangers and impact of trafficking for sexual exploitation, particularly of young women.
“The music video tells the story of a girl who is tricked by a man to follow her hopes and dreams across borders in search of a better life,” said Menno Kluin, who at the time was a creative director at Young & Rubicam, New York. “Just like in reality, this journey ends in tragedy. Hopefully we can raise awareness of human trafficking among the general public worldwide, and most importantly, among the young women who are in danger of being exploited.”
The video ends with a grim, sobering statistic: “Every year, 640,000 women and children are tricked into slave labor and prostitution with the promise of a better life.” An endtag directs viewers to mtvexit.org to help stop human trafficking.
“Planet Better” is appearing on MTV properties on-air and online around the world. The music track is also available to download on iTunes via Black Iris’ record label, White Iris. Proceeds for the iTunes sales will be directed to anti-trafficking organizations working to rescue and rehabilitate victims of human trafficking.
Tennille Teague, senior content producer at Y&R New York, said of the project and its music, “The visuals were marked by a raw approach to animation. We wanted the music to be a huge driving force so it had to be something that hadn’t been heard before that would live in the world of MTV. We collaborated with Daron Hollowell, owner/executive producer at Black Iris, who has a huge foot in the world of current music. We wanted a female vocalist, an up-and-coming artist, and we got connected to Bethany whose star was just starting to rise with a great showing at Coachella, appearances on TV, she had even done some Converse stuff.
“She was willing to take on the project and Black Iris collaborated on the track with her,” continued Teague. “She came into the studio and recorded it for us. The minute we heard it, we loved it. It felt real, not saccharine. It was its own piece and we thought an original enough work to generate sales and raise funds to help the cause.”
Cannes catalyst Black Iris’ Hollowell recalled the genesis of the project which dated back to last year’s Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival where he met Teague who told him of the planned video.
“She said they were trying to connect with an up-and-coming female artist and approached me since she knew we had a record label in addition to being a music house. A few people came to mind, especially Bethany. When I got back to the office, we sent the Y&R team a few vocalists to consider, artists we had worked with on our single label. Bethany became the clear choice.”
Hollowell added that as he and the Black Iris collective got deeper into the project and saw the visuals, they suggested that “rather than put a Best Coast track to the action, the story would be better served by an original piece of music that could be scored tightly to the picture, the storyline and its arc. Y&R embraced this approach.”
Also proving advantageous, observed Hollowell, was that Pesacov had produced in the past for Cosentino, meaning that he was able to pen the original song for the MTV EXIT public service video with sensibilities conducive to making it an ideal match for Cosentino as a vocalist.
Sound design Teague also brought into the fold Brooklyn-based sound designer Emrich who’s known for his collaborations with acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky on feature films ranging from Pi to Requiem for a Dream to Black Swan.
Emrich is also active in commercials, working with high-profile directors including MJZ’s Rupert Sanders.
Teague said of Emrich, “I like to let him go and see what he does. You give him the track, the visuals and then see what he brings to the table. He is very much the type of sound designer who keeps things realistic. And if his sound design isn’t felt, that is sometimes a good thing to him. I very much enjoy working with him.”
Teague noted that Emrich’s sound design helped carry certain moments in the story of the girl who ultimately winds up in a world of exploitation and degradation.
Teague cited for example the scene in which the girl enters the rocket ship to go on her trip to the promised land of love and opportunity which turns out to instead be a destination of desolate, isolating darkness.
“Brian’s sound design helps take you along this journey with her, traveling through space and landing on a planet which is so different from what she is promised,” said Teague. “Brian’s small, subtle touches help carry you on that journey.”
Emrich also took on audio post mixing for the video, an atypical dual role for him but one which Teague welcomed.
Teague was part of a Y&R team that included executive creative directors Scott Vitrone and Ian Reichenthal, creative director Kluin (who has since joined DDB New York as head of art and executive creative director), art director Alexander Nowak, copywriter Feliks Richter, executive directors of content production Lora Schulson and Nathy Aviram, and executive music producer Eric David Johnson.
Johnson has since left Y&R to take on the executive producer of music and integration mantle over at DDB’s Chicago office.
SHOOT Spring 2011 Top Ten Spot Tracks Chart
