For The Africa Center, home isn’t just a place–it’s a feeling. Located in New York City’s iconic Harlem neighborhood, The Africa Center exists as a cultural bedrock focused on centering African people on the continent and across the diaspora. Through its programming, the institution amplifies African history, heritage, and global influence, and offers a deeper understanding of contemporary Africa through authentic engagement with African culture and people living in communities across the world.
Droga5 New York created an inaugural brand campaign, “Home is Here,” which establishes The Africa Center’s role as a place for belonging and co-creation of the future of both community and continent. Highlighting the diversity of communities and experiences of Africans and those of African descent, the campaign kicks off with this :60 directed by Jared Malik Royal via Moxie Pictures. The film serves as an open invitation for Kinfolk to connect with their unique feeling of home at The Africa Center.
Launched the week of Juneteenth, the film is set throughout Harlem to capture sentimental moments that showcase common threads amongst a shared past and ancestry between Africans and those of the African diaspora.
Credits
Client The Africa Center Agency Droga5 NY Tim Gordon, Felix Richter, co-chief creative officers; Courtney Richardson, creative director; Gabe Santana, Roselyn Pia, copywriters; Germany Lancaster, Martha Gill, art directors; Ana Rice, associate designer; Mike Hasinoff, executive producer, film; Kenya Agunloye, producer, film; Mike Ladman, sr. music supervisor; Teia Meigneux, producer, interactive; Harry Roman-Torres, chief brand strategy officer; Claudia Vitarelli, Justin Clagette, sr. brand strategists; Isaiah Brown, brand strategist. Production Moxie Pictures Jared Malik Royal, director; Evan Burris Trout, DP; Michael Lenic, exec producer; Jake Riswold, production coordinator. Casting Nina Day Editorial Work Editorial Niles Howard (Kid Sister), editor; Julian Laing, assistant editor; Erica Thompson, exec producer; Samara Kelly, producer. Postproduction Nice Shoes Kaya Ono, Flame artist; T.J. Sponzo, exec producer; Serena Bove, producer. Color Electric Theatre Collective Luke Morrison, colorist; Oliver Whitworth, exec producer. Music James Tillman Song: “Ways” Audio Significant Others/Machine Sound T. Terressa Tate, sound engineer; Alek Rost, head of production. Experiential Production Company DotDot Kate Stevenson, creative producer; Chris White, design director; Elizabeth Perez, producer; Chris Liu, developer; Jacques Foottit, technical director; Chris Andersen, art director. Interactive Production Company Second Child Nereida Valles, graphics producer; Lisa Bishai, quality control manager; Hoyo Yiu, quality control specialist; Emmanuel Perez, George McAvoy, production artists; Laura Standley, head of copy & language services; Andrew Waldron, managing editor of copy & language services; Eric McQuade, sr. copy editor.
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
