The November midterm elections are just six weeks away, and the stakes for reproductive freedom are higher than ever before. Today, Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action Fund released “Your Voice,” a powerful video to rally and encourage voters to turn out at the polls and take control of their rights. The spot is produced by Girl Culture Films and directed by Karyn Kusama, an Emmy-nominated director best known for her work on the Showtime series Yellowjackets and feature films such as Jennifer’s Body and Destroyer. This is Kusama’s first-ever commercial.
The video features a young woman telling her mother she’s pregnant and has decided to get an abortion. News broadcasts from their television blasts in the background, with anchors announcing the midterm elections and politicians’ plans to ban abortion. As the mother begins to articulate support for her daughter, suddenly the words of the politicians on TV begin to possess her–taking her voice–and she eerily tells her daughter that she, in fact, does not have the power to make decisions about her own body: Lawmakers will decide. Eventually the young woman snaps her mom back to reality, and boldly declares control of her future, affirming that the decision to have an abortion belongs to her — not politicians or anyone else. The spot will run on digital platforms, with additional versions to come in the upcoming weeks.
Kusama said, “It’s important that everyone understands how incredibly high the stakes are in this election. With Roe v Wade now overturned, anti-abortion politicians feel emboldened to control every part of our lives — our bodies, our voices, and our futures. As a filmmaker, it felt necessary for me to illustrate the ways in which the reckless decisions made by out-of-touch politicians will affect mothers, daughters, and families across the country if we don’t show up in force at the ballot box this November. It’s time for us all to take control and vote our voice.”
The “Your Voice” video is part of “Take Control,” Planned Parenthood advocacy & political organizations’ largest ever electoral program. The $50 million program will help elect champions for sexual and reproductive health care and rights, including abortion, up and down the ballot and all across the country. The strategic investments will focus on states positioned to either ban or expand access to sexual and reproductive health care.
Girl Culture Films served as the production partner for the spot, working closely with Planned Parenthood Votes and Planned Parenthood Action Fund from concept through delivery to help meet this moment of urgency. Kusama–who is known for her use of horror and other genre elements to drive storytelling–was a natural fit to direct the spot, and brought valuable creative input on everything from lighting choices to sound design to visual effects to help elevate the narrative. Girl Culture Films oversaw postproduction by working closely with partners including The Mill, Cabin Editing Company, and CAYA Music & Sound to craft a spot that creatively and strategically speaks to key audiences as the midterm elections approach.
CreditsClient Planned Parenthood Votes, Planned Parenthood Action Fund Production Company Girl Culture Films Karyn Kusama, director; Lauren Greenfield, founder/creative director; Frank Evers, founder/president; Tori Palmatier, managing director; Jessica Zerby, producer; Nicole Whitaker, DP; Sean Lyness, line producer. VFX The Mill Anne Trotman, creative director; Jaz Rangokea, Amanda Libotte, exec producers; Hayley Savage, Katharine Mulderry, producers; Jelena Savanovic, associate producer; Betty Cameron, shoot supervisor, 2D lead artist; Lucia Hill Barroso, 2D artist. Color The Mill Ashley Woods, colorist; Kay Carpenter II, color producer; Rachel Kong, color assist. Editorial Cabin Editing Company Brian Meagher, editor; Carr Schilling, managing partner; Adam Becht, exec producer; Liz Lydecker, head of production; Esther Gonzalez, sr. producer. Sound Design & Original Music CAYA Music & Sound Ben Einziger, partner/executive creative director; Kiki Einziger, partner/exec producer; Becky Jungmann, exec producer; Tim Adams, creative director. Audio Post Formosa Group John Bolen, mixer
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More