Titled “The Truth Is Hard to Find–Mark Mazzetti,” this :30 from Droga5 NY tells the story of the dedication of the New York Times’ Washington, DC bureau in investigating stories and uncovering information.
As we hear an interview with Mark Mazzetti, the Washington Investigations editor for the New York Times, we see a series of real redacted government documents from a span of many years. It’s a stark representation of how hard it is to find the truth amid a growing culture of secrecy in government. And how that makes the job of investigative journalists to bring this information to light even more vital. The idea of the ad was to take authentic, redacted, declassified government documents — made available to the public through The Freedom of Information Act — and use them to demonstrate how hard it is to uncover information in the face of government secrecy.
Credits
Client The New York Times Agency Droga5 NY David Droga, creative chairman; Ted Royer, chief creative officer; Tim Gordon, executive creative director; Brian Eden, associate creative director/copywriter; Ben Grube, associate creative director/art director; Mitchell Quesada, jr. copywriter; Fatima Jafri, jr. art director; Sally Ann Dale, chief content creation officer; Jesse Brihn, Bryan Litman, co-directors of film production; Kylie Loeffler, associate producer, film; Jonny Bauer, global chief strategy officer; Harry Roman, co-head of strategy; Tom Gibby, strategy director. Editorial D5 Studios Matt Badger, sr. editor; CJ Trahan, post producer; Brielle Mordant, associate post producer. Postproduction The Mill Mel Wickham, exec producer; Colin Blaney, sr. producer; Luis Martin, producer; Michael Brown, production coordinator; Ilia Mokhtareizadeh, lead compositor; Brandon Danowski, compositor. Audio Post Sonic Union Michael Marinelli, Fernando Ascani, mixers; Pat Sullivan, audio post producer. Sound Design Barking Owl Morgan Johnson, sound designer; Kelly Bayett, creative director/exec producer; Ashley Benton, producer.
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
