In the last few years, many states have passed legislation banning specific books, and critical parts of American history–erasing the stories and contributions of marginalized people in our country. Just recently, Florida banned the use of state and federal funds on DEI programs at state universities. And it doesn’t appear like it will stop there.
So Courageous Conversations and agency Wieden+Kennedy New York teamed on a campaign based on the belief that all students deserve to have an education that represents our true history. The “America Erased” campaign was designed to show the dangerous repercussions of erasing stories that represent American values. A cornerstone of the campaign is this powerful film directed by Omar Jones via Riff Raff Films.
The film shows key pieces of history wiped away from photos and archival footage–with luminary figures like Dr. Martin Luther King banished from the classroom and Ruby Bridges eliminated from textbooks.
Credits
Client Courageous Conversation Agency Wieden+Kennedy New York Marques Gartrell, chief creative officer/creative director; Monica Roebuck, copywriter; Macaihah Broussard, art director; Nick Setounski, head of integrated production; Cecilia Ramirez, producer; Caroline Park, associate producer; Christopher Gonzalez, art producer; Christian Colasuonno, sr. interactive producer; Donovan Triplett, brand strategy director; Mia Lockhart, designer. Production Company Riff Raff Omar Jones, director; Matthew Fone, owner; Matthew Clyde, exec producer; David Wept, producer; Jagger Corcione, line producer; Nem Fisher, production manager; Madison Baker, production coorindator. Editorial Arcade Edit Paul Martinez, editor; Sila Soyer, exec producer; Arlene Perez, producer; Lucas Ferreira, editorial assistant. VFX Preymaker Angus Kneale, Verity Kneale, Melanie Wickham, Clairellen Wallin, Luis Martin, Ija Ochoa, Jabulani Simelane, Edward Lopez, Julian Fitzpatrick, Nathan Anderson, David Grzesik, Hassan Taimur, Casey Herrick, Samantha Woods, Nicholas Young, Wynand de Wet, Kelley Harris, makers. Telecine Company 3 Sofie Borup, colorist; Shannen Troup, producer; Kevin Breheny, head of production. Audio Post Sonic Union Steve Rosen, sound designer/mix engineer; Justine Cortale, studio director. Music Company Walker Sara Matarazzo, managing director; Neha Ewell, Dottie Scharr, sr. producers; Sam Zirin, associate producer; Malcolm Parson, composer; Garrett Chabot, music editor.
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
