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.
How do you top one of the most viral brand videos ever made? Spoiler alert: you can’t. But when Dollar Shave Club tapped Zack Seckler to direct a new campaign to revive the absurdist humor of its iconic launch video, he knew he had a rare opportunity to create something special.
The brief was simple: introduce the concept of a physical “Club” that people would love to join while showcasing Dollar Shave Club’s products and embracing the weird. From script to direction and post, Seckler--an alum of SHOOT’s 2021 New Directors Showcase--was invited to help sculpt that vision.
The result is this “Welcome to the Club” spot which invites us to join a unique, seemingly exclusive but in reality an accessible and affordable fraternity of Dollar Shave Club members. But you need to know the password or more accurately, the two-word phrase--"shave money."
“The Club” campaign brings the brand back to its humorous roots, reflecting a new chapter after being acquired by Nexus Capital Management from Unilever in late 2023. The work takes Dollar Shave Club back to its disruptive beginnings and what made the brand a viral sensation from its inception in 2011.
