This PSA titled “The Fawn” is from United Sense of America, a bipartisan coalition whose mission is to turn common sense and common ground into public policy.
“The Fawn” was concepted and created by production company SMUGGLER in partnership with New York-based agency American Haiku and Austin-based agency Preacher. Written by American Haiku ECD Thom Glover and directed by the SMUGGLER duo rubberband., the film was designed as a common sense rallying cry aimed at the hunting community, questioning the need for assault weapons–in hunting and beyond that in our society generally. In light of the recent tragic high school shooting in Georgia, this message takes on a poignant urgency and underscores the need to craft progressive reform policy.
The film, painful and seemingly unavoidable, forces the viewer to imagine someone else’s finger on the trigger and something else as its target. A voiceover initially seems to be talking about a fawn who is in plain view. But instead the VO turns out to be referring to the weapon which will claim the animal’s life. While the scene itself is graphic, the messaging is matter of fact. United Sense of America contends there simply is no defensible reason or excuse for assault weapons being necessary for sports hunting–and certainly not in mainstream society which includes our children’s schools.
Glover said, “Every line in the film came from online discussions and conversations. Hunters are no different from the rest of us; the way people buy assault weapons is the same as the way they buy a refrigerator. We have to find a way to challenge this situation that doesn’t paint all gun owners as monsters, because they’re not.”
Client United Sense of America Agency American Haiku, New York Thom Glover, partner/executive creative director. Agency Preacher, Austin, Texas Seth Gaffney, Rob Baird, Krystle Loyland, partners. Production Company SMUGGLER rubberband., director; Patrick Milling Smith, Sue Yeon Ahn, exec producers; Manny Caston, producer. Voiceover Record, VO Casting, Sound Design and Mix Q Department Cast Bill Kernodle, voiceover actor. Additional Sound Design No.8 George Castle, James Benn VFX The Mill Anastasia von Rahl, managing director; Mariah Gill-Erhart, sr. producer; Matt Fuller, creative director; Jessica Groom, CG lead; Becky Porter, Toya Drechsler, 2D leads; Aryan Sacheva, Bill Lu, Brendon Echsner, Corinne DeOrsay, Dan Bodenstein, Dustin Leon, Gustavo Gonzalez, Ken Jones, Nick Carvalho, Olesya Gurezova, Raul Brossy, Yang Wu, Nilesh Mohan Wadekar, Sparsh Kumar, Rakesh Marathi Pujari, CG; Patrick Reilly, 2D; Jaimie Yoo, Sidney Tan, designers; Yerlan Tanayev, colorist; Daymian Mejia, Alexandra Makarenko, color assists; Jackson Winkler, color producer; Krista Staudt, color exec producer.
Barilla, LePub Navigate Subway Commute To “Togetherness”
On World Pasta Day, October 25, Barilla partnered with the NYC subway to turn its iconic “Spaghetti n°5” pasta boxes into “Togetherness Tickets,” offering free subway rides. At a special Barilla newsstand near Hudson Yards station, commuters could pick up a pasta box that, with a tech insert, worked like a regular subway ticket to open the turnstiles.
More than just a ticket, Barilla’s campaign was an invitation for individuals to step out of their solitary routines and connect with their loved ones over a delicious pasta meal. According to a global survey commissioned by Barilla in August 2023, 60% of respondents confessed to eating alone more frequently over the past two years, forsaking shared meals for a quick bite on their own.
The primary reason cited for this shift toward solitary dining is busy work schedules. A significant 48% of people surveyed lamented that their working hours kept them from sharing meals with their loved ones, highlighting the impact of our on-the-go lifestyles on quality time spent with family and friends. Additionally, geographical distances from family and friends contributed to the rise of solitary meals, with 37% acknowledging it as a growing obstacle.
Although people are increasingly eating alone, as a resounding 63% of people admitted to eating solo during the week, a remarkable 93% believe that regularly sharing meals has a positive impact on relationships with friends and family. Building on this emerging desire, Barilla wanted to remind us of the impact of food and more specifically pasta, in fostering better human connections.
Sometimes a friend or family member is just a few subway stops away. So get together and share a pasta meal with a box of Barilla, which also serves as a... Read More