+

ETC CREATIVE INC. represents top-shelf conceptual photographers. Erica Chadwick is responsible for agency's creative direction, foundation & growth.

[etccreativeinc]

New Site, New Blog

The ETC site has moved, and with it, so has the ETC blog.

Come check us out at www.thisisetccreative.com

[etccreativeinc]

Harold Julian’s Blood Equality Campaign Wins 2 Clios

FCB Health and Harold Julian’s collaboration for Blood Equality has been honored with 2 Clio awards, for print and poster advertising.

The FDA currently bans the donation of blood by gay men. Harold produced a poster series to promote political action to change US policy. If you’d like to join us in our mission to overturn unjust discrimination of gay men for blood donations, make your voice heard here. 

[etccreativeinc]

Brian Steege - The Making of An Award Winning Portrait Series

Brian Steege’s compelling portrait series of adolescent boxers is featured in the current issue of PDN Magazine’s Faces Portrait Competition.

Award winning work often has its origins in the humble beginnings of creating PR assets for non-profit organizations, as was the case in this series. What is interesting about this series of portraits is that it almost never was.

  It all started when Empower Media Communications contacted Brian about directing a video for Fighting Chance, a charity that pairs boxing training with academic mentoring for at-risk kids. The creative ask was for Brian to capture footage of kids training and studying while voice over of the founder Megan Schmittauer spoke to the difference her charity makes in the lives of so many young people. 

While shooting video footage Brian was struck with the thought that it would be a missed opportunity if he didn’t capture stills as an additional visual asset. He immediately shared his idea to add to the creative brief and extended the shoot day to allow time for some some impromptu portraits.  As he left the shoot that day, he knew he had captured imagery that inspired him. The following day he scheduled more time with the students and an award winning portrait series was born.

  The finished video piece has more on the story behind Fighting Chance. Get a box of tissues to watch.

[etccreativeinc]

#ETCGROW

ALWAYS ASPIRING

The best is a bar that keeps moving upwards. And that is the direction we like to go. Our artists rise to the occasion, elevating both our work and our clients as we harness that upward trajectory to the top.

CORE: noun

    1. the central or most important part of something

VALUE: noun

    1. a person’s principals or standard of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life

GROW: verb

    1. to become larger, to increase in size, amount, etc.

    2. to become better or improved in some way

    3. to pass from childhood to adulthood.

    Visit the ETC GROW Pinterest Board.

At ETC, to grow is to:

1. Use time to become better versions of our prior selves.

2. Nuture progress.

3. Take something that small, see possibility and make it bigger.

[etccreativeinc]

ETC Creative Agency Demo Reel

We are excited to share the new ETC Creative Agency demo reel.

[etccreativeinc]

#ETCINNOVATE

INSPIRED BY THE FUTURE

We may not know what’s there, but we sure want to reach it. That’s why we experiment, lighting up the room of the unknown. It’s innovation we crave at ETC, which is why we’re leaders.

CORE: noun

     1. the central or most important part of something

VALUE: noun

     1. a person’s principals or standard of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life

INNOVATE: verb

     1. to do something in a new way : to have new ideas about how something can be done.

    Visit the ETC Innovate Pinterest Board.

At ETC, innovate means:

1. We know what we know. Finding out what we don’t know is how we innovate.

2. To innovate is to experiment and push boundaries. The process is sometimes fun and sometimes uncomfortable.

3. The future is determined by what we created and experimented with today.

[etccreativeinc]

Jordan Lutes - Portugal Promo Interview with A Photo Editor

@aphotoeditor and Heidi Volpe interviewed Jordan Lutes on his Portugal promo.  

Read more on the photoeditor blog continue to read below:

Heidi Volpe: Who printed it?

Jordan Lutes:I printed through Overnightprints

HV: Who designed it?

JL: I designed it with the help of a few graphic designer friends I’ve been working with since college- they know my work and ideas as well as I do.

HV: Who edited the images?

JL: The images were chosen by me, all from a recent road trip camping and surfing through Portugal. Once we figured out the layout, the images were whittled down with the help of my reps at ETC. The goal was to show my lifestyle work, but also focus on smaller quieter moments to help let the piece breathe a bit.

HV: How many did you make?

JL: I had 400 printed, with 50 of those going to my reps, and another 50 staying with me for meetings and new friends

HV: How many times a year do you send out promos?

JL: Normally one big promo a year, and some personalized smaller ones to targeted people when it seems right. But this year I’ll be sending 4 since this promo is the first part of a new series.

HV: How did this zine come about?

JL: The Portugal zine is the first of part of a four-part series that will be hitting desks over the course of about a year, all centered on recent travels. I just got back from Jordan in the Middle East, so that will be the focus of the next one to go out. There’s already been a much better response to this than any postcard or poster promo I’ve sent; I think the zine has been a nice way to show a fuller perspective of how I shoot. I’ve been capturing a lot of motion on these trips as well -probably more motion than images actually- and working with an editor to turn each trip into a short travel piece as well.

[etccreativeinc]

#ETCREAL

REALNESS ISN’T PERFECTION

Capturing a moment of realness isn’t about a perfect smile. It’s a moment of emotion so real you can almost feel it through the screen. We create images for our clients that are authentic connections, connections that inspire action.

CORE: noun

the central or most important part of something.

VALUE: noun

a person’s principals or standard of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life.

REAL: verb  

of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things 

not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory. Genuine. Being precisely what the name implies.

occurring or existing in actuality.

Visit our Pinterest boards to see our visual diary of realness.

At ETC Creative, being real is :

1. Being authentic. Being who you truly are and knowing the value in that

2. Embracing nuances that are imperfect. Being perfectly imperfect.

3. Honesty and integrity and living in our word.

[etccreativeinc]

ETC Creative Welcomes Stephen DeVries

We are thrilled to announce that photographer and director Stephen DeVries has joined out roster.

When you meet Stephen, you will automatically feel his energy and his passion for what he does. Stephen’s character is spontaneous, energetic, and even contagious. He is also focused on the details that make for a dynamic still life portfolio. 

These dualities enable Stephen to take a road trip to a distant location to unearth the spontaneity of a beautiful travel story while he is also engaged in the extreme attention to detail that is the mainstay of exceptional food photography.

[etccreativeinc]

#ETCBELONG

THE POWER OF BELONGING

Nothing brings us closer together than being a part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s part of human nature that we want to belong to something, someone;  a group of friends, a job, a religion, a country, a group of like-minded people. We know that a team of people together is intrinsically more powerful than a single person and we find comfort, allegiance and joy from being with people who want to do the same things that we do.

CORE: noun

the central or most important part of something.

VALUE: noun

a person’s principals or standard of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life.

BELONG: verb

     1. to be suitable, appropriate or advantageous

     2. to be the property of a person or thing: to be attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency: to be a member of a club, organization or set.

     3. to be properly classified

Our Pinterest board on BELONG sums up our feelings on what it is to BELONG.

AT ETC Creative, to BELONG is to:

1. Work for a common goal.

2. To collaborate and contribute.

3. Choose what to give power to.

[etccreativeinc]

Inspire - Thomas Chadwick, Behind The Personal Portrait

As we continue to explore #ETCInspire for the month of June, we wanted to ask Thomas Chadwick what inspired him to create his personal karate piece featuring the world champion karateka, Elisa Au Fonseca. Thomas’ work is often aspirational and humanistic and we wanted to find out what characteristics inspire him to create his memorable and heroic portrait studies.

What inspired you to create a piece about Elisa Au Fonseca?

Years ago, I had met John Fonseca, whose roommate was a friend of mine. At that time John was competing in the highest level in international karate tournaments. Over his career, he won many of those tournaments. 

We were both younger then, in our early twenties, and I was in awe of what he was accomplishing. 

Fast forward to years later where I enrolled my sons into karate lessons. John had started a dojo with his wife, Elisa, and I was excited for my kids to be taught under their wings. I would pick my kids up from karate lessons everyday and I got to know Elisa. I even started taking karate classes. 

Often I would see John and Elisa training their elite students for competition. It was mesmerizing to watch. Elisa is clearly above everyone around her. When I see someone that is that skilled - near to perfection, my mind goes straight to thinking about all the time and energy that went into getting there. 

What about Elisa is inspiring to you?

Elisa is a world-class athlete, has held countless titles and was the best in her field for almost a decade. She also runs a dojo, she is a pillar in my local community, and she is a mother. She is also beautiful in front of the lens and in person. 

Most importantly though, I am inspired to tell the stories of people who have taken their craft to another level. I like telling the stories of people who WANT IT. From a young age, she dedicated her life to being the best in the world. That takes a drive and dedication that I want to study and tell the story of as an artist.

The video is edited between quieter footage where Elisa is practicing a kata and action-packed footage of her sparring. What was the concept behind that?

There are 2 elements to karate; there is the practice of a kata, which is an almost meditative practice of self-control and mastering routine and discipline. Katas are a choreographed set of movements that you must master, from footwork, to breathing, to how you point your fingertips. It is you being master over your entire being. There is incredible grace and precise delivery of power. 

Sparring is defending yourself against the punches and finding the right moment to attack. Sparring is spontaneous.

Kata and sparring are the yin and yang of karate. The practice of doing a kata is to gain self-discipline and self-control. One is not supposed to use karate to start a fight; it is used to defend and disarm. I wanted to show how the mind body connection informs fighting in karate and how the two create a balance within the athlete and individual.

How did you achieve the concept from a technical point of view?

The kata was shot with my camera on a tripod to bring additional grounding, stillness and strength. I chose the location to shoot her in her space and lined her up against a bank of windows to create symmetry. The symmetry of the windows mimics the symmetry of the kata.

I handheld the sparring footage and got in close to shoot. I wanted the footage to be in the action to feel the movement of the fight. Through editing the footage, I was able to get fluidity from one hit to the next.

Did you intend on shooting video and print?

No, my intention was to concentrate solely on a motion piece. I had been told by another photographer / director that his advice was to concentrate solely on motion when you’re shooting motion. He said photographers can get distracted when they shoot both on the same day and that when he has shot both he had wound up with lot of great photographs and not enough motion to cut a good video from. I tried following that advice.

But, being a photographer, it felt strange being in a scenario I would normally jump at the chance of grabbing my camera and shooting. That instinct did get the better of me and I did grab my camera and fire off some shots. 

I shot with my camera for about ten minutes total. In the end, three of the photographs became pieces for my portfolio. 

When you come from a print background, making video is a whole new realm where you have to learn how to put your stylistic stamp on it. It’s become my goal to get my video work to be on par with my photography. One way I have been able to make that goal a reality is to shoot both on my personal projects.

How long did the piece take to shoot?

I shot it in 2 days, in time slots of 2 hours each day. Since I was asking Elisa and her sparring partner to give me 100%, there was a real physical limit on their endurance. On the first day, I shot the sparring footage. At the end of that day, the bottoms of Elisa’s feet were raw. On the second day I shot the kata footage.

What surprises me most about creating video projects is how much more time is needed for post. Editing is a process I enjoy but it isn’t instant gratification like print is.

What was your process for pre pro your shoot? Did you make a storyboard?

With this piece, I had a strong idea of what I wanted to do. I storyboarded the entire piece. I’ve always been someone who sketches out what they want to do, even with my print work. I keep a sketchbook. 

I had planned on doing a voiceover of Elisa. I wanted her to talk about the contract of kata vs. sparring.

After I captured the footage and got into editing with the voiceover, it felt like the piece moved to slowly- and maybe I was trying to force the message too much with the copy. 

At that time, I contacted my sound editor and asked him to source music to give the piece an overall punch and more impact. One of the most gratifying things about working in motion is having the opportunity to utilize the power of sound.

[etccreativeinc]

WHAT INSPIRES AGENCY CREATIVES?

We asked some of our friends who are creative directors and art directors at agencies across the country - “What inspires you?”. We were surprised how wide-ranging their answers were- and yet they all had a similar theme. Inspiration is everywhere, it seems, as long as we choose to pay attention.

photo by Clayton Hauck

“I've been chipping away at my design aesthetic for over a decade. What's never changed is my utilitarian approach. In college, I used to snoop around delis, small grocery stores, old hardware shops with dirty windows; anything that might offer inspiration in the way of economic use of color, fonts and line work. I still look for that kind of stuff everywhere I go. Needless to say, I'm a huge fan of Saul Bass and Paul Rand, along with contemporaries like Aaron Draplin. They're some of the greats. Timeless. Lately I've been taking walks at night through Chicago, just to clear my head and think about what I want to communicate with people and how I want to deliver that message. Is it even a message worth delivering? Does it stir something inside of you? Is it clutter? There's so much junk in our lives, both tangible and digital, that I want to be mindful of what I say if I so choose to speak. When I land on a thought, I want to be able to be able to convey it in the simplest way possible. I usually land on those thoughts when I'm in large, urban spaces with energy and movement, and it usually helps if I'm moving, too.

And caffeinated.”

David Jensen - Associate Creative Director at Havas and CCO of Practice Daily

photo by Stephen Devries

“I have been referred to as a human sponge. I look for "input" every minute of the day. I keep notes and pics on my phone for the things I find in my environment, and folders on my desktop for the things I find online. I routinely duck into the magazine shop down the street for old favorites, and always buy a few things I've never picked up before. It's amazing the amateur artists you might find on Flickr. And digging through google images with just the right metaphorical or philosophical search terms can help you find amazing "nuggets" from around the world. Each new creative challenge is like a mystery that needs to solved. You have to constantly be on the hunt for inspiration.”

Dana Callow - Executive Creative Director at Scout Marketing

photo by Kourtney Sellers

“I don’t specifically go places (physically and otherwise) to get inspiration. Everything that comes into my mental field has a good chance of becoming an idea or part of an idea. Ideas for me come from watching people on the train, making dinner, grocery shopping, my fears, my insecurities, standup comedy, The Onion, documentaries, Japanese horror movies, story telling podcasts, listening to smart people, dealing with dumb people, being outside, being alone, being in a room with a lot of people, watching a dog figure out where to do his business, fail compilations, staying up way too late, Rihanna videos, crime stories, and the pure and brilliant observations made by my 5 and 7 year old.

But truly, nothing inspires me to work and concept like a deadline.”

Tohru Oyasu - Creative Director at VSA Partners

photo by The Voorhes

[etccreativeinc]

#ETCINSPIRE

We are moving on from our core value of FEARLESS and on to INSPIRE. When we were investigating what INSPIRE meant to us, a friend pointed us to this quote by Antoine de Saint Exupéry, from his book, The Little Prince.  

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

CORE: noun

the central or most important part of something.

VALUE: noun

      1. a person’s principals or standard of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life.  

     INSPIRE: transitive verb

     1. to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration

         2. to spur on

           3. to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on

         4. to infuse (as life) by breathing

          5. to draw forth or bring out

         6. to spread (rumor) by indirect means or through the agency of another

Our INSPIRE Pinterest board tells more of the story.

We seek to be out in the world and inspire it. Great photography, music and video creates a visceral response - a gasp, a sigh or even a tear. We seek inspire a human reaction that etches itself in memory.

1. Inspiration comes from many sources. The more experiences we subject ourselves to, the more opportunities we will have to become inspired.

2. Inspiration is mutual and it is contagious. We are inspired by others and the outside world. We also inspire others and the outside world.

3. Change comes and that inspires us.

[etccreativeinc]

RAINA + WILSON - 2016 PDN Photo Annual

Congratulations to Raina + Wilson for their #Ladayballs campaign that is featured in the 2016 PDN Photo Annual for Advertising. 

[etccreativeinc]

#LADYBALLS - Grey Canada’s Fearless Campaign with Raina + Wilson

Raina + Wilson were hired to Grey Canada to shoot a portrait campaign for Ovarian Cancer Canada. The Grey creative team concepted the controversial #LADYBALLS hashtag to expand the reach of their message from traditional print and film advertising into the realm of social media. 

We reached out to Sue Kohm, the copywriter who coined the #Ladyballs hashtag, to ask her what the process was for developing a campaign that was designed to take risks.

ETC: Please give us a brief description of the #Ladyballs campaign. What media platforms did you create content for?

Sue Kohm: #Ladyballs is intended to create a conversation around ovaries so women can finally engage in a public dialogue to bring awareness to ovarian cancer.

This phrase is all about power and strength. Ladyballs not only refers to a woman’s metaphorical courage, grit, and resilience; all traits that one must embody to overcome ovarian cancer, but it also refers to ovaries themselves. It’s this colloquialism that makes ovaries approachable, and allow it to be part of every day conversation. And when you’re talking about ladyballs, you’re thinking about ladyballs.

We created creative assets for print, TV, cinema, digital, social, OOH, events – you name it.

Your client was Ovarian Cancer Canada, which is a nonprofit. Did you pitch a few ideas to the client as different directions to go in for the campaign? Or was the #Ladyballs the only campaign that was presented to the client?

Oh yeah. It took 18 months to get #ladyballs off the ground. And three rounds of creative presentations. We started in a much more emotive (tear jerker) territory. Nothing felt quite ownable. So we kept going until we landed on an idea that got us all excited (and a bit nervous).

What was the client's initial reaction to the creative?

Mixed, really. Some loved it. Some didn’t. Generally, they were worried about how risky it was and if it was offensive. One client in particular got the idea and understood the potential of #ladyballs. Honestly, if it weren’t for her support and dedication to help push it through, the campaign would never have seen the light of day.

Did their opinion of the creative change at all over time?

You know, it’s interesting. When you present something that is polarizing, those negative reactions seem louder and stronger than positive or supportive reactions. So, at one point, the client began questioning whether or not the campaign would resonate with the public or simply offend. But, to their credit, they stuck with it. They recognized that this silent killer had been quiet for too long.

Did your ad agency or the client feel there was risk involved in the campaign?

The client had some reservations. As did some within the agency. But we took great pains to research the idea with the public and socialize #ladyballs with ovarian cancer survivors. And wouldn’t you know it, ovarian cancer survivors were those who rallied behind the campaign from the get go.

Internally, we kept moving forward and protected the work. It helps when you have support from your CD. Our CCO, Patrick Scissons, championed the idea and made sure we never lost sight of our creative integrity. No matter who was chirping in our ears.

If so, was that risk perceived as only a positive or were there negatives that were a cause for concern?

We all thought there would be some sort of negative backlash. First of all, people didn’t even mention ovaries out loud – ever. Unless you were in sex ed class or in a doctor’s office. And here we were, taking the word ovaries and giving it a slang term that had almost exclusively been reserved for men. Of course people would be uncomfortable or even offended.

Did the hashtag #ladyballs come about as the campaign was being developed or was it a part of the initial concept that was presented to the client?

The hashtag was around from the first creative presentation. We always knew #ladyballs would be integral to the campaign since public discussion today happens online and in social media.

Once the campaign was released to the public, it had a range of reactions in the community and the press. Some people thought the campaign was sexist for the use of the #ladyballs, some thought any attention to the cause was a good thing. Was there any feedback that surprised you or the client?

At first, there were quite a few comments slamming the campaign. Client had difficulty with that in the beginning. You have to remember, for an organization that had such little awareness and support – all the attention was overwhelming. But once we explained that those detractors were actually helping spread ovarian cancer awareness, they embraced it.

How has the campaign affected the exposure of the clients cause? Were there any goals that were reached?

Our lead client said something that really stuck with me. During the launch week, she told us she talked more about ovarian cancer in those seven days than she had in the last seven years. That made all the time, effort and sacrifice we put into the campaign worth it. They also increased donations, disease mentions, requests for literature, awareness of the organization and an increase in third party fundraising events.

[etccreativeinc]

ART + FEAR - Insights On An Inevitable Coexistence

We discovered the book “ART and FEAR : Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” many years ago. It was written by the insightful co-authors David Bayles and Ted Orland. It’s an intense and thought provoking on why we become artists, what gets in the way of making art (hint- it’s alway boils down to fear), and how we can get out of our way and keep creating. 

To entice you into reading it in it’s entirety, we highlighted 6 quotes that get us thinking.

“Making art means working in the face of uncertainty; it means living with doubt and contradiction, doing something no one much cares whether you do, and for which there may be neither audience nor reward. Making the work you want to make means setting aside these doubts so that you may see clearly what you have done, and thereby see where to go next.”

“....those who continue to make art are those who have learned how to continue- or more precisely, have learned how not to quit.”

“Making art can feel dangerous and revealing. Making art precipitates self-doubt, stirring deep waters that lay between what you know you should be, and what you fear you might be.”

“Art is like beginning a sentence before you know its ending. The risks are obvious: you may never get to the end of the sentence at all- or having gotten there, you may not have said anything.” 

“Simply put, making art is chancy- it doesn’t mix well with predictability. Uncertainty is essential, inevitable and all-pervasive companion to your desire to make art. And tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding.”

“In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling panel of choices) between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot - and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. It becomes a choice between certainty and uncertainty. And curiously, uncertainty is the comforting choice.”

photography by Raina+Wilson.

[etccreativeinc]

FCB’s Blood Equality Campaign: Science Over Stigma

Harold Julian has been working with FCB on a series of portraits for the Blood Equality, an organization thats mission is to change the FDA ban of gay men donating blood. We wanted to know why agencies work on pro bono work and how they choose their causes. 

ETC: Why do agencies do pro bono work?

FCB Health: Pro bono work is in our agency’s DNA, and there are essentially 3 reasons: 1: To attract and retain the best people. 2: It elevates our game and forces us to think smarter and more stealthily. 3: We are humans. And we are lucky. We should be doing pro bono. We need to do it.

How do ad agencies select pro bono accounts that they want to work on?

Great ideas come from all over. FCB Health also created a “WHAT IF” initiative to proactively seek these kinds of projects. Usually it’s a passion project from someone on the team. A client or category often sparks an idea. Something in our lives or in the news strikes a chord.

How did Blood Equality evolve, or how did the project come to be?

A passion project from a team (Cameron + Marissa) sparked the original “what if” idea. It’s blossomed since then.

Tell us what Blood Equality is all about.

All blood is not created equal. At least that’s the message that gay and bisexual men are getting. Believe it or not, today gay men are banned from donating blood… even to a mother, child, husband, brother, or friend one… and even in an emergency.

Each year we turn away more than 600,000 pints of blood. Recently, a lifetime ban gave way to a new policy: gay men must now remain celibate for 1 year before they’re allowed to donate. So much for progress.

Every pint of blood is carefully screened – and it's time to put an end to a policy based on stigma, not science. There is no such thing as “gay blood” and treating it as something inferior cannot be accepted.

Blood Equality was created to spark dialogue, encourage scientific discussion, and accelerate the process towards a more rational, less discriminatory policy.

What does your campaign want to accomplish?  

Broaden awareness that a ban still exists, and accelerate the process to change the policy to one based on science, not stigma.

Has anyone whose taken part, or involved with Blood Mirror been effected by this discrimination or the FDA policy directly?

We all breathe the same air. Red blood courses through all of our veins. This policy effects all of us.

How large is the team of people that are assigned on this account at the agency? How large is the team if you consider everyone you’re partnering with?

It began as a small team, but has grown into a passionate tribe – at least a dozen at FCB Health, and 20+ including partners, notably GMHC. Everyone who believes in the mission can play a role.

With FCB Health being an ad agency specific to Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, was there ever any fear that challenging the FDA mandate in this way would have repercussions to the ad agency at large?

It’s an interesting question, but we look at it this way: taking a respectful yet determined stance for a belief is something everyone should be entitled to.

The campaign partners with a few people and organizations, including Jordan Eagles and his fine art installation piece Blood Mirror. Can you tell us how the fine art piece and the ad campaign are linked? Can you tell us about the other partners you have for the campaign?

Our initial research turned up a range of people speaking out on the issue. Jordan’s work immediately caught our eye. It’s moving, human and powerful. We met him, and were instantly struck – and it was Jordan who suggested we partner and launch an FCB Health Artist-in-Residence program. We’re lucky to have his passion and his thinking to help guide the effort.

There is a questionnaire you must fill out before you donate blood.  That questionnaire assumes that people are going to be honest. Do you have any insight on if the FDA has thought about the possibility of people being dishonest about their sexuality?

We can’t read minds, but we’re sure the fact that the questionnaire is based on “the honor system” was considered. It’s faulty, of course, on many levels. But the good news: we have screening processes in place to balance self-reporting weaknesses. Our opinion is that the question “are you a man who has had sex with a man?” is a remnant of antiquated thinking, and does not reflect today’s understanding of blood safety.

What were the steps you took, or are taking, to build the campaign?

The structure is in 2 parts: build broad awareness, and spark meaningful debate and discussion. Everything is being considered: from Film, television PSAs, amazing photography (thanks to the genius Harold Julian), social media everywhere, a “Selfie” tool to allow broad engagement, scientific panels, you name it.

How did you find the photographer?

It was kind of old school: an FCB Health agency producer has a relationship with an incredible photography producer/rep, they talk, and we discover the campaign strikes the same chord. Then we all agree to try to create something magical.

You have a lot of mediums for the campaign, digital, print, photo, etc. How was this the initial creative (Look/Feel) for the campaign developed?

The look and feel is all about the issue: deep crimsons and dark shadows. It’s the aesthetic of the issue. Jordan’s Blood Mirror work greatly influenced the campaign style overall. We feel it’s still evolving.

The first set of ads were released early in 2016 and more ads that are coming out later this year. How has the visibility increased to the cause since the web site and the creative has been released?

It’s early still. We’re pushing it all out there – but the focus now is on amplification. The issue deserves more attention. And more eyeballs are the way to spark dialogue and promote the kind of discourse that can change policy. June 14 is World Blood Donor Day – we’re gearing up to make it a true springboard for bigger/broader/better.

What is next for Blood Equality?

More film. More photography. More amazing things. More partnerships. More people with followings joining us.  And, of course, more pressure to evolve the policy to something that treats every pint of donated blood with the respect it deserves.

What does the word “Fearless” mean to Blood Equality?

Being true. Being courageous. Being relentless.

Agency: FCB Health

Creative Director: Rich Levy, Mike Devlin

Copywriter: Marissa Kraft, Kit Tang, Ysabel Cacho, Emily Dias, Rebecca Miller, Casey Ross

Art Director: Cameron Pollard, Arnold Calderon, Olivia Acerra, Alex Lally, Thomas Kwak, Kari Bocassi

Production: Matt Hall, Ian Smith, Cassandra Bull, Grace Na

Art: Jordan Eagles (FCB Health Artist-in-Residence), Harold Julian (Photographer, ETC)

Art Production Partners: Joe Lombardo (Agent/Producer, ETC), Philip Pavliger (ETC), and Erica Chadwick (ETC)

Account & Strategy: Jill Rossi, Phoebe Restrepo, Joe Fisher, Connor Jones

Client: GMHC: Anthony Hayes, Kelsey Louie