H U M A N
CLIENT: BAKERRIPLEY
“It seems like forever that people have been holding protests—for rights, for equality, for things they believe in. One protest sign that has been present for all this strife is the one that reads “I am human.” Because when we want to remove barriers, we talk about our humanity, because that is the thing we all have in common.
In the sixties, activists proclaimed “I am a man.” When love won, activists said “I feel more human today than I have in a long time.” We talk about human capital and the human condition, and talking about the human campaign is how we’re going to start minimizing our differences now. It’s how we will welcome refugees and talk about immigration opportunities. This stark statement will be our conversation starter, on Tshirts and on signs present everywhere people are meeting strife.”
When Texas’ oldest and largest traditional nonprofit BakerRipley (formerly Neighborhood Centers) wanted to do something unusual, I developed this bold one-word campaign that draws on our commonality rather than our differences.
My role:
Concept, creative direction, design, copywriting, community engagement and fundraising components, sourcing external photography talent
Additional credits:
Photography by Spike Johnson
Produced while employed by The Black Sheep Agency
We worked to get portraiture that was victorious, diverse and impactful. All images were taken at BakerRipley centers or events, including NRG Stadium during Hurricane Harvey.
A long-time favorite statement for protesters from women’s rights to civil rights to gay rights, "HUMAN" works for all occasions. BakerRipley wanted to enable activists with a sign that could see lots of use. (image for mockup only)
"HUMAN" is the only label BakerRipley believes in. On a shirt, the label invites connection because it is a shared truth, providing a first step to conversation wherever the wearer happens to travel.
This scalable vinyl lettering forms photo backdrops all over the city. Digital beacons would send push notifications with the installation's location and other info about BakerRipley to the smartphones of those nearby — plus opportunities to donate.
BakerRipley held an employee kickoff event for the HUMAN campaign where hundreds of portraits — the core of the campaign — were generated through the help of Smilebooth.
Employees and other visitors to the launch event took to social media with their HUMAN portraits to share encouraging words and vulnerable stories using #HUMAN. The campaign quickly gained momentum.
Writers give us windows into the human condition, so we invited journalists, authors and poets to share their musings on humanity. We turned some of their words into social media posts that doubled as a micro-giving fundraiser.
This microsite generated hashtagged social posts and HUMAN portraits from any photo the user uploaded.