Doug Werby of production house kaboom directed this spot titled “Tess” featuring Special Olympics World Games golfer Tess Trojan. “Tess” is part of a campaign conceived by agency Hill Holliday honoring the 2015 Special Olympics on behalf of sponsor Bank of America.
Werby credited Trojan with capturing the spirit of the Special Olympics. “Tess articulated it perfectly–judge the ability, not the disability,” said Werby. “This is the spirit of Special Olympics.”
Client Bank of America/Special Olympics Agency Hill Holliday, Boston Spencer Deadrick, executive VP, group creative director; Will Uronis, sr. VP, group creative director; Ian Catmur, VP, associate creative director; Michael Langone, sr. designer; Brian Gonsar, executive producer; Molly Troy, assistant producer. Production kaboom, San Francisco Doug Werby, director; Lauren Schwartz, exec producer; Steven Sills, producer; Petr Stepanek, DP. Editorial Arcade, New York Brad Waskewich, Jen Dean, editors; Dan Gutterman, Laurel Smoliar, assistant editors.
Following World AIDS Day, which was celebrated on December 1, co-production companies Central Films and Freelance For track one man’s existential, and potentially career-altering, decision to “come out” as living with HIV in Spain in this public service spot titled “The HInVisible Celebrity.”
Out of agency Señora Rushmore for ViiV Healthcare Spain, in collaboration with GESIDA, SEISIDA, and Apoyo Positivo, the PSA--directed by Rodrigo García Sáiz via Central Films Spain--addresses the stigma against publicly living with HIV in Spanish society. In the more than 40 years since the first case of HIV appeared in Spain, no public figure in Spain has claimed to have HIV. Viiv Healthcare Spain asks, if there are 150,000 people with HIV in Spain (or approximately 1 in 300), why don’t we know anyone with HIV?
The central character, who dons a mask of television-pixelated anonymity, gives himself an introspective pep-talk ahead of announcing his status to the Spanish public. Along the way, he wonders what will become of his career, and reputation in general, even as he recognizes that his declaration could change Spain’s cultural landscape for the better and for all of those in Spain who live with HIV every day. As no public figure in Spain has ever announced living with HIV--due to fear of public rejection--this character realizes that such a role model could change that.
The character has already begun building social media awareness with his Instagram profile, @famosoinvihsible, which began cataloging his life as a public figure earlier this fall. Still, though, the figure either leaves himself out of the picture, faces away from the camera, or dons the pixelated mask associated with anonymous admission. “The HInVisible... Read More
