Droga5 New York created this “Amani” campaign which reflects Meta’s potential to bring people together.
Centerpiece of the campaign is this short film directed by Illimité World (French for “Limitless World”) which consists of two directors of color–Aus Taylor and Marleaux Desiré. “The world is y(ours)” is a mantra used by the native-Baltimore directorial duo, using it as a reminder that each artistic offering is a view into the world of their imaginations. The directors are adept at combining a mix of classical cinema, creative animation and raw documentary style filmmaking.
Turned out by production company Love Song, the “Amani” short tells the story of 12 young African cyclists who have come together to compete in the global cycling scene–shining a light on the next generation of cyclists to show how Meta’s future vision for shared, immersive experiences in the metaverse has the potential to break down barriers universally.
Love Song partner/director/EP Daniel Wolfe, who also exec produced Meta’s award-winning and Emmy-nominated film “Skate Nation Ghana,” served again as EP on the “Amani” film. A mentor to many young directors, he collaborated closely with Illimité World to capture the riders competing in the metaverse with a blend of both striking visuals and human depth.
CreditsClient Meta Agency Droga5 NY David Droga, creative chairman; Scott Bell, chief creative officer; Thom Glover, executive creative director; Ted Meyer, Jason Gold, creative directors; Ben Brown, Benjamin Hinamanu, sr. copywriters; Ben Muckensturm, sr. art director; Nate Scott, executive design director; Mark Yoon, group design director; Kenisha Rullan, designer; Mike Hasinoff, executive producer, film; Scotty Schuckies, sr. producer, film; Mel Calabro, producer, film; Matt Mintz, associate producer, film; Mike Ladman, sr. music supervisor; Brandy Ricker, music supervisor; Mara Techam, jr. music supervisor; Harry Roman-Torres, Diana Gonzalez, group brand strategy directors; Anthony Perez, brand strategy director; Ellie Frame, sr. brand strategist; Mariel Calara, associate brand strategist; Andy Littlewood, chief knowledge officer; Sean La’Brooy, sr. data strategist. Production Company Love Song Illimité World (French for “Limitless World,” consisting of Aus Taylor and Marleaux Desiré); Daniel Wolfe, partner/exec producer; Diego Garcia, Shawn Peters, DPs. Kelly Bayett, managing partner/exec producer; Deannie O’Neil, exec producer; Paige Kauffman, head of production; Leah Donnenberg, producer; Alejandro Ramia, Kristina Ilyina, 1st assistant directors; Bee Diamondhead, stylist; Andrew Clark, production designer. Production Services Company (Kenya) Blue Sky Films Hemal Shah, exec producer. Production Services Company (South Africa) Monkey Films Clare van Zyl, owner/exec producer; Phillip Killingbeck, head of production. Editorial Marsheen Dominic Leung, Amber Saunders, editors; Matthew Blacklock, assistant editor; Harriet Cawley, exec producer. Color Company 3 Simon Bourne, colorist; Chris Anthony, sr. color producer. VFX The Mill Dan Williams, executive creative director; Carl Norton, creative director & 2D lead; Edward Shires, Dan Moore, Nuno Pereira, Adam Droy, 3D lead; Matt McDougal, Gustavo Ribeiro, Rafael Vormittag, Zoe Cosh, 2D artists; Artur Drozdowicz, Arnab Bhattacharya, Aman Jain, Ben Beckett, Callum Austin, Charles Vidaud, Giacomo Cavalletti, Hannah Bahyan, Joao Pires, Katie Bates, Kieran Russell, Kapil Rana, Luke Frampton, Sandeep Grover, Vaclav Cizkovsky, Thomas Craig, Shravan Srikanth, Dinesh B, Jyoti Prakash Panda, Thirumoorthi Sivakumar, Swathi M S, Roman Vrbovsky, Praveen Sharma, Pol Escale Cabre, Petroc Menuhin, Paul Autric, Paul Tempelman, 3D artists; Kwok Lam, Adam Roche, Barry Chapman, Can Y Sanalan, Freya Barnsley, Henrik Holmberg, Daphne Westelynck, design; Caitlin Donaldson, Rory Leighton, color assist; Clare Melia, exec producer; Nicola Simmons, producer; Tarun Misra, line producer; David Wishart, Gavin Marler, finish artists. Title Designs & Typography Fraser Muggeridge studio. Music Supervision Curation Music Sunny Kapoor, music supervisor. Recording Studio (Kenya) Hiventy Sound Design Barking Owl Gus Koven, sound designer; Kelly Bayett, creative director; Ashley Benton, exec producer. Music “Ffe basajja ba Kabaka” Bobcat Goldwav, remix Additional Sound Design & Mix King Lear Music & Sound Ed Downham, sound designer & mixer.
The Best Work You May Never See: Ad Council, U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, GSD&M, Director Andre Muir Show Us “The Bravest Thing”
As Suicide Prevention Month begins, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Ad Council teamed with agency GSD&M to roll out PSAs for their national campaign: “Don’t Wait. Reach Out.” The initiative, which started in 2021, urges Veterans who are facing challenges to visit VA.gov/REACH, a comprehensive website that helps them access the many resources available.
The PSAs, including this one titled “The Bravest Thing,” were directed by Andre Muir of production house SMUGGLER. “The Bravest Thing” acknowledges that it can be hard for Veterans to reach out if they’re struggling--but in the eyes of their loved ones, seeking help is an act of bravery. By featuring Veterans alongside their friends and family, the film encourages Veterans to open up if they’re struggling and reminds everyone that they can play a role in supporting Veterans in their lives.
“When a Veteran is ready to reach out, VA is ready to provide services and support. One of the bravest things Veterans can do is ask for help,” said Dr. Matthew Miller, executive director, VA Office of Suicide Prevention. “These new messages are powerful and compassionate additions to the ‘Don’t Wait. Reach Out.’ campaign that features the voices of loved ones, underscoring the vital role that family and friends play in supporting Veterans. We all play a role in suicide prevention and this call to action engages community and connections, which are crucial in preventing Veteran suicide. Through this campaign, we can spread hope that Veterans, and all of us, can overcome crises and difficult life challenges.”
6,392 Veterans lost their lives to suicide in 2021, according to the latest data from the 2023 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.... Read More