Fairness, sportsmanship and mutual respect are the hallmarks of sports. This short piece titled “Equality” affirms that the world would be a better place if we extended those values beyond the playing field. We see the painted lines of the field lengthened to go past the schoolyards, the basketball courts, the arenas and stadiums to reach into and impact everyday life.
Directed by Melina Matsoukas of production house PRETTYBIRD, “Equality” features LeBron James, Serena Williams, Kevin Durant, Megan Rapinoe, Dalilah Muhammad, Gabby Douglas, and Victor Cruz, amplifying their voices in an effort to uplift, open eyes and bring the positive values that sport can represent into wider focus. “Equality” also features actor Michael B. Jordan, who voices the film, and a new performance by Alicia Keys, singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
Credits
Client Nike Agency Wieden+Kennedy, Portland, Ore. Chris Groom, Antony Goldstein, creative directors; Kervins Chauvet, writer; Nate Nowinowski, art director; Matt Hunnicutt, integrated production director; Julie Gursha, producer; Emily Knight, associate producer; Alicia Kunam, studio manager; Seth Shelman, studio designer. Production PRETTYBIRD Melina Matsoukas, director; Suzanne Hargrove, exec producer; Jonathan Wang, line producer; Malik Sayeed, DP. Editorial Joint Editorial Peter Wiedensmith, editor; Dylan Sylwester, JB Jacobs, Kevin Alfoldy, Eddie Mikasa, Doug Scott, assistant editors; Jen Milano, post producer; Leslie Carthy, post exec producer. VFX The Mission Venice, Calif. Patrick Ferguson, VFX supervisor; Michael Vaglienty, Susanne Scharping, Edward Black, Adam Flynn, Flame artists; Piotr Karwas, animation director; Diana Cheng, VFX producer; Michael Pardee, managing director. (Toolbox: Flame, Maya) Music Walker Sara Matarazzo, exec producer; Abbey Hendrix, sr. producer; Song: “A Change Is Gonna Come”–written by Sam Cooke, performed by Alicia Keys. Ann Mincieli, engineer; Judson Crane, music editor. Voiceover Michael B. Jordan Audio Post Eleven Jeff Payne, audio mixer; Jordan Meltzer, audio mix assistant; Melissa Elston, mix exec producer. Sound Design Barking Owl Morgan Johnson, sound designer; Kelly Bayett, producer. Telecine Company 3 Tom Poole, colorist; Clare Movshon, telecine producer.
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick.
The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs.
“I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years.
Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.
“There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
