A restaurant revival is beginning in the South Side of Chicago. Joining and chronicling the movement are documentary filmmaker Rodney Lucas in collaboration with Chance the Rapper (both are South Side natives) and The Martin Agency for client DoorDash.
Like so many eateries, Chicago’s Krazy Hog BBQ, was forced to shutter under the weight of COVID-19 constraints. According to USA Today, 72,800 restaurants have permanently closed because of revenue loss and job instability associated with the pandemic. None have been hit harder than Black-owned businesses, which are shutting down twice as fast.
From statistic to success story, DoorDash is putting family-owned Krazy Hog back in business as part of its new “Reopen for Delivery” program meant to protect restaurants integral to the fabric of local communities and cultures. The program includes such initiatives as:
Rebuilding operations through opening delivery-only spaces
Providing last-mile logistics support to help merchants quickly adopt a delivery-only model
Investing in additional operations and marketing support throughout the reopening process to grow the business and reach new customers without traditional overhead costs
The Martin Agency and director Lucas via Even/Odd Films have teamed on this documentary, which is titled Southside Magnolia and chronicles the resilience of Chicago’s food scene, centered on Krazy Hog’s owners and legacy. Part of a marketing campaign, the docu-short is a celebration of Black excellence and entrepreneurship captured over four days of filming.
Credits
Client DoorDash Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, VP, marketing; Katie Daire, sr. director, B2B marketing; Tiffany Black, sr. manager, influencer & social media marketing. Agency The Martin Agency Kristen Cavallo, CEO; Danny Robinson, EVP/chief creative officer; Jerry Hoak, EVP/executive creative director/managing director; Tasha Dean, SVP/head of integrated production; Mike Kelley, creative director; Derek Smith, art director; Joe Hartley, copywriter; Tricia Hoover, executive producer; Anthony Moschini, producer; Jaclyn Ruelle, SVP/managing director, cultural impact & brand communicatoins; Matt Kessler, cultural communications, sr. executive; Blake Smoral, Luke Divita, strategic planners; Greg Fischer, SVP/director of communications planning. Production Even/Odd Films Rodney Lucas, director; Malcolm Pullinger, Mohammad Gorjestani, exec producers; Taylor Feltner, head of production; Cayce Cole, managing exec producer; Alex Friedman, supervising producer; Paige DeMarco, Holli Hopkins McGinley, line producers; Kassim Norris, DP; Ashley Rodholm, post producer/story editor; Ian Levine, editor; Calvin Small, art director; Krystyn Johnson, hair/makeup/wardrobe; Nima Taradji, still photographer. Music Chance the Rapper. Color MPC Dimitri Zola, colorist. Sound Design & Mix Sound Lounge Ashley Simmons
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
