This June will mark three years since the landmark case declaring marriage legal for same-sex couples in all 50 states. But LGBT Americans are facing increased discrimination. In the last year, 55% of people reported being discriminated against because of their gender identity or sexual orientation (an +11 point increase from the previous year), while about 80% of Americans mistakenly believe it’s illegal under federal law to fire, evict or refuse service to someone because they are LGBT. The reality is 31 states still allow these kinds of discrimination.
To raise awareness of the situation, agency CP+B created this “Beyond I Do” campaign for the Ad Council and the Gill Foundation. The work tells the stories of everyday Americans who face such discrimination, including this PSA which introduces us to Jami and Krista. In it, we meet a gay couple who couldn’t get a doctor to see their child solely because of their sexual orientation.
This spot–and two others in the campaign–were directed collectively by the CP+B creative team. Work was produced by Stink Studios, NY.
Credits
Client Ad Council/Gill Foundation Agency CP+B Linus Karlsson, global chief creative officer; Quinn Katherman, Lauren Perlow, creative directors; Aaron Fisher, Robyn Tenenbaum, associate creative directors; Sarah Mosseller, sr. copywriter; Rachel Leathers, art director; Sloan Schroeder, VP, director of content production; Jesse Jones, VP, executive producer; Jake Burnett, producer; Mimi McCormick, jr. producer. Production Stink Studios, NY Jan Reichle, DP; Jen Nichols Armstrong, exec producer; Lauren Saunders, sr. producer. Research & Strategy Redscout, NY Telecine a52, Santa Monica, Calif. Paul Yacono, colorist; Jenny Bright, sr. color producer. Editorial Rock Paper Scissors (RPS), Santa Monica, and Ming Studios, Boulder, Colo. David Brodie, editor (RPS); Patrick Tuck, assistant editor (RPS); James Bedford, assistant editor (Ming); Kate Swenson, producer (Ming); Shada Shariatzadeh, producer (RPS); Lennon Barnica, exec producer (Ming); Dina Ciccotello, exec producer (RPS). Sound Design/Mix Lime Studios, Santa Monica Matt Miller, engineer; Susie Boyajan, executive producer; Lisa Mermelstein, assistant engineer. Post/VFX a52 Brendan Crockett, Kevin Stokes, VFX supervisor/lead Flame; Drew Rissman, producer.
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
