On Monday, June 17, Mastercard continued its support of World Pride with a street sign installation at the intersection of Gay and Christopher Streets called “Acceptance Street.” The street sign continues Mastercard’s #AcceptanceMatters initiative and is a symbol of support for the growing LGBTQIA+ community, 50 years after Stonewall.
The official street sign now expands from Christopher and Gay to now read Christopher and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, Non-Binary, Pansexual, Two Spirit, + Street. Mastercard worked with the city’s Human Rights Commission to sanction the signs which were then crafted by the same company that builds street signs for New York City. The effort signifies Mastercard’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, diversity and acceptance.
Cheryl Guerin, EVP marketing & communications, Mastercard North America stated, “At Mastercard, inclusion and acceptance are what we believe in as a company and promote within our company’s culture. We fully stand by this belief. As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, we want to remind everyone that inclusion and acceptance matter. We have made progress but there is still work to do to ensure that everyone has a way to express their true selves. A day with 100% acceptance would truly be priceless.”
This video chronicles the “Acceptance Street” sign installation, the agency behind the newly named thoroughfare being McCann XBC.
Credits
Client Mastercard Cheryl Guerin, EVP, North America marketing & communications; Jim Issokson, SVP, Noth America communications; Seema Chibber, SVP, North America consumer marketing & sponsorships Agency McCann XBC Pierre Lipton, EVP, global executive creative director; Adrian Botan, global creative director; Pete Jones, Joel Rodriguez, EVPs/executive creative directors; Carlos Wigle, Evan Benedetto, VPs, creative directors; Antonia Orol-Berlinger, art director; Noah Benezra, sr. copywriter; Morgan Mack, copywriter; Lucas Crigle, associate creative director; Mikayla Lapierre, jr. art director; Hope Nardini, copywriter; Nathy Aviram, chief production officer; Judi Nierman, SVP, executive producer; Christine Lane, SVP, executive producer-innovation; Dagmar Wong, sr. integrated producer; Liz O’Connor, producer; Amber Briscoe, sr. integrated producer; Oriol Bombi, EVP, global strategy director; Dan Cohn, SVP, group strategy director; Rosalind Mowitt, sr. strategist; Nina Kossoff, strategist; Danielle Karr, VP, social strategy director; Kristen Levy, social strategist; Eric Perini, Brett Berman, Aude Cuenod, content creators; Jeremy Miller, chief communications officer. Sign Production Company Traction Creative. Production/Post Shannon Botts, Craft post producer; Benny Karas, Craft colorist; John Smith, Craft audio mixer; Ilya Katsap, Craft, Deb McMurtrey, Ted Maniatakos, Craft editors; Christine Doughty, Craft assistant editor; Adam Hirsch, Craft SVP, head of content, North America; Ray Klonsky, Craft executive producer; Amalia Bradstreet, Craft line producer; Dave Waldron, DP; Carrie Cheek, camera operator; Tyler Postiglione, Tim Race, sound mixers; Jacqueline Helene, hair/makeup artist.
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
