FWD.US
I STAND WITH IMMIGRANTS CAMPAIGN

ROLE: Director, Creative Concepting, Set Art Direction, Post Production Treatment, Interview Writer, Backdrop Commission
The Soze Agency

2023

10TH ANNUAL CAMPAIGN PHOTO + VIDEO SHOOT

VIDEO DESCRIPTION

This June marks the tenth annual Immigrant Heritage Month – a month-long celebration encouraging people across the nation to explore their heritage and honor the rich contributions that immigrants and their descendants have made to our shared history and culture. Since 2014, the I Stand With Immigrants initiative has uplifted the voices of immigrant communities and shared the stories, experiences, hopes and dreams of immigrants in this country.

This year, we’re calling on allies and advocates to speak, act, and use their platform to show the world that they believe in liberty and justice for all immigrants. Because when we stand together, we have the power to create the world we deserve; a world where immigrants are celebrated, supported, and thriving in the places they call home.  

Join us in solidarity at IAmAnImmigrant.com 

IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH

WE ❤️ THIS CITY TOUR 2023

LA Producer | Keri Goff, Detroit Producer | Lola Guardone-Lopez
Lead Strategist | Anjali Gupta, Project Manager | Liliana Avila
Designers | Jubilee Cho, Milo Nguyen, Pablo Méndez
Video Editor | Zoë Miller

In 2023, the I Stand With Immigrants campaign celebrated Immigrant Heritage Month in Los Angeles and Detroit. Through interactive installations that brought communities together, the campaign celebrated the power, pride, and inclusivity of “we” – those whose unique histories and heritage have shaped the fabric of the city they call home.

Through engaging allies, advocates, and everyday people to  participate with us and share their stories, we shone a spotlight on the impact of championing our country’s and our city’s immigrant heritage – together.  

In both Los Angeles and Detroit, the Soze team fabricated WE ❤️ CITY interactive duo-toned art installations. Attendees were able to pick out a flag that represents their heritage and place it on the heart. Throughout the day, the heart filled up, representing the rich cultural heritage of each city. Each installation measured 6ft tall x 25ft long.

We partnered with Smorgasburg LA and the Downtown Detroit Partnership in Cadillac Square Park, which allowed for natural foot traffic and engagement with the activations. In each city, we handed out hundreds of custom I Stand With Immigrants shirts in colors that elicited city pride. In Detroit, we partnered with TeMaTe Institute of Black Dance and Culture. Their founder, Ajara Alghali, is a first generation immigrant from Sierra Leone. They brought a DJ to liven the party and closed the event with a class and demonstration of traditional West African Dance and Drumming.

2022
IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH MURALS

FOR IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH 2022, WE WORKED WITH TWO ARTISTS TO PRODUCE MURALS IN SEATTLE, WA AND MINNEAPOLIS, MN.

• We prioritized working with immigrant artists who lived in each tour stop city. 

• We worked with building owners to create long term buy-in that results in the murals staying up within the community for years to come. It is important to build these relationships so that the artwork is built by the community, for the community, and not seen as a replaceable advertisement that can be covered up within a few weeks.

• The Red Sea Ethiopian restaurant is a staple to the community + the owner takes an incredible amount of pride in the new artwork on the side of his restaurant. 

• Supernova, the largest disco club in the United States, is thrilled to have this artwork on the back side of their building and have mentioned rotating artwork for Immigrant Heritage Month every year. 

• We worked with each artist to develop creative concepts for the murals that spoke to their connection to their own immigrant heritage. 

• Once we completed the murals, we received bios and artist statements about each piece in order to share their stories across social media platforms.

• On the ground, we captured photos and video in order to showcase process as well as share content of the finished pieces. 

The overall goal for each mural we create is for the artwork to stay up in communities for a long time to celebrate immigrant heritage and tell the stories that connect to the theme of Our Past, Our Present, Our Future.

SEATTLE | ARTIST, STEVIE SHAO

This mural in Sodo, Seattle, depicts the ‘four guardians’. Each is associated with a cardinal direction, color, season, virtue and one of five Chinese elements. Something I love about these myths is how they represent a connection each individual has to their natural environment and the origin of these images and stories. Having an understanding of these stories and reimagining their significance in current times is a way to relate back to history and build upon it.

Stevie Shao is a Seattle born-and-raised illustrator and muralist whose work features bold colors, folk art inspired imagery and a love for the plant and animal life from the region. Shao incorporates a 'universe' of characters from folktales, drawing inspiration from historic illustration styles, her Chinese background, and her fascination with storytelling to represent these creatures, their relationships, and the meaning we instill in their portrayal. She is passionate about local causes related to environmental stewardship, racial justice and preserving historic community roots.

MINNEAPOLIS | ARTIST, BEREKET ADAMU

The meeting of the two hands in this mural represents two people, two worlds, two cultures coming together and making new connections and building a colorful story around them. We can notice the hands' similarities while also seeing their differences. 

WORDS FROM THE ARTIST:

My name is Bereket Adamu and I am painting a mural on the Red Sea restaurant in Riverside Minneapolis. Minneapolis houses one of the largest East African populations. I hope this mural helps all folks feel welcome and honors all of the individuals who are shifting our culture.

Working on this project has been incredibly meaningful. As an Ethiopian immigrant it has been an honor to work on this mural for immigration heritage month. The Red Sea Restaurant in Riverside Minneapolis has been specifically chosen because of the stability and comfort that it brings to our community. The meeting of the two hands in this mural represents two people, two worlds, two cultures coming together and making new connections and building a colorful story around them. We can notice the hands' similarities while also seeing their differences. 

My immigration heritage has aided me in finding and creating a colorful community of my choosing in a land far away from home. It has taught me that nothing is impossible 

Public art is important because art is often left inaccessible and locked up behind ticket sales. Public installations allow for any part of the community to experience artwork. Beautification of our communities is important and it propels us to do better and find value in ourselves and our neighborhoods.

TO IMMIGRANTS WITH LOVE | OUT OF HOME CAMPAIGN

ROLE | OOH Strategy + Media Buying
Designer, Jubilee Cho

In 2022, we executed a five-market out-of-home campaign for To Immigrants With Love, a campaign led by FWD.US every February. On February 14th – Valentine’s Day! – we show love to all immigrants, regardless of status, class or position as a reminder that they are loved and integral to our communities. We curated a twitter billboard campaign, featuring tweets of messages of love and support from celebs, artists, and influencer to immigrant communities across the U.S.

2021
IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH

ROLE | Creative Direction, OOH Strategy + Media Buying
Designer, Lisa Lok

Building on the existing campaign branding, we created a specific creative treatment for IHM 2021. This year was all about celebrating stories so we chose elements that felt organic and authentic to storytelling. This came to life through handwritten text with drawn strokes and flourishes. We were able to elevate past years’ celeb photographs by combining the new creative treatment with black and white photography to create a focus on our core messages.

For IHM 2021, we created an 8-market OOH spread with a variety of inventory types across the country. By utilizing both the celebrity photographs and the striking art direction, we were able to grab the attention of folks passing by. By combining both street level and large-scale art, we were able to create maximum impact for the campaign.

INVENTORY SELECTED:
Wheatpaste Posters | One-Sheet Posters | Wallscapes | Murals | Digital Billboards | Transit Shelters | Street Information Kiosks

NEW ORLEANS MURAL | HONORING THE TAMALE MAN

Marino Escobar is better known as the Tamale Man of New Orleans. Bursting with smiles and positivity, he can always be seen in the streets of New Orleans selling fresh tamales while wearing his signature cowboy hat. Marino originally immigrated to California from Guatemala over a decade ago. After a few months in CA, he found a home in NOLA and has never left. He and his family sell tamales to people from all walks of life and always leave a lasting impression thanks to their overwhelming joy and positivity. This mural is a tribute to Marino and the happiness that he exudes.

NYC + PHILLY | SISTER MURALS

ADDITIONAL OOH

2023 ISWI PSA VIDEO CREDITS:

Custom Backdrop: @jarrett.hendrix x @texturedhands
Studio: @thecomplexstudios
HMU: @mirnajose x Deanna Klemmer
HMU Assist: Ramdasha x Kat Barlas
Wardrobe: @laurynterceira
Wardrobe Assist: @mikhaelazaba x @naomigk
BTS Photographer: Frankie Marin
BTS Videographer: @donnellculver
Crafty: @Angelic_crafty 
CCO: @markdemra
CCO Assist: Ruben Eslao
Art PA: @bjustinejaime x Jhanelle Elissa
Campaign Creative Director: @leonxdavis
Script Supervisor: @lilerrrzzz
Talent Producer: @justbeingdevine 
PAs: @fletch.jpg x @jubynoona x @damnnjoanne x @logo.jai x @uriurib2 x @waylor.photo x Ana Aldazabal x Sebastien Cipolla x Anthony Gonzalez
Photo Retoucher: @jackmaffucci 
Post Production: @kp_video x @zoemiller99

2023 ISWI SHOOT PHOTO CREDITS:

@iamanimmigrant x @wearesoze Photographer: @fancybethany 1st Photo Asst:  @heydashaunae  Photo DIT: @roneilchavez Photo Retoucher: @jackmaffucci  Executive Producer: @renatkjohnson Production Partners: @thelightislit Studio: @thecomplexstudios HMU: @mirnajose x Deanna Klemmer HMU Assist: Ramdasha x Kat Barlas Wardrobe: @laurynterceira Wardrobe Assist: @mikhaelazaba x @naomigk Art PA: @bjustinejaime x Jhanelle Elissa Campaign Creative Director: @leonxdavis Talent Producer: @justbeingdevine