Continuing the conversation from its Emmy Award-winning film “The Talk,” Procter & Gamble has released a new film designed to spark reflection and dialogue on racial bias and inequality. Titled “The Look,” the piece highlights bias as experienced by many Black men in America and is available in tandem with educational resources online.
“The Look” follows a Black man throughout his day as he encounters a variety of “looks” that symbolize a barrier to acceptance. In the film, the windows of a passing car are raised after his son waves to a young girl in the back seat, occupants of an elevator seem to shut him out as he approaches, and workers in a department store watch him with suspicion as he shops. Whether intentional or not, these small “looks” can have a major impact. The film ends with the line, “Let’s talk about the look so we can see beyond it.”
Anthony Mandler of Stink Films directed “The Look,” which was lensed by DP Malik Sayeed. Sam Ostrove of Cabin Edit cut the film, with music and sound handled by Barking Owl. The agency behind the film, website (www.talkaboutbias.com) and overall integrated campaign is Saturday Morning, a creative collective founded by executives in the advertising industry who came together to create ideas that bring awareness to and shift perceptions on racial bias and injustice.
“The story of ‘The Look’ is based in the real-world experience of thousands of Black men across the country who experience bias in different ways, big and small, every day. This film is an opportunity for the world to see – and feel – what it’s like to walk in their shoes,” said Kwame Taylor-Hayford, a co-founder of Saturday Morning. “Partnering with companies like P&G on thought-provoking and authentic work like ‘The Look’ will lead to deeper and richer conversation that will inspire change.”
Director Mandler related, “When I first saw the idea for The Look, I immediately knew I wanted to be part of this project. As a filmmaker, I believe in the power of narrative. It can reveal truths, change minds, move culture. We can’t fight racial bias unless we acknowledge that it exists, so I’m humbled to be part of a project that confronts a difficult subject with such directness.
“We want to live in a world that is equal and inclusive–in race, gender, ethnicity, sexual identity, ability, religion and age–but the reality is, it’s not fully equal or inclusive and one of the core reasons is bias,” said Marc Pritchard, chief brand officer, Procter & Gamble. “Empathy can be a particularly effective antidote to bias, and we created ‘The Look’ to change perspectives, prompt personal introspection, and bring people together for a conversation to ultimately change hearts and minds.”
