JetBlue and VH1 encourage New Yorkers to take off the headphones and listen to street music
New Yorkers tend to travel at one speed: rapid-fire. They commute with their heads down, their headphones plugged in and laser focus on getting to their destinations.
JetBlue wants to help the people of the Big Apple to take a little time to celebrate and appreciate the people that help make the city special – buskers.
“Let Music Move You” gives a voice to those who ply the subways and street corners of the city beyond their busking realms, letting us in on what it takes to make music and art to sometimes un-hearing and often unsympathetic ears.
As New York’s 'Hometown Airline', JetBlue wanted to acknowledge the city’s talented musicians that hide in plain sight and thank them for being the soundtrack to the city. The airline, in partnership with the VH1 Save The Music program and students of PS 048X in the Bronx, surprised three NYC buskers with one year of travel, since the cost of travel is one of the greatest expenses for up-and-coming musicians. The film, produced by lead agency Rokkan, showcases what makes each of these buskers unique and features the revealing moments when they’ve realized what JetBlue has given them.
The short film chronicles three buskers – guitarist-singer Jesse Cohen, banjo player-singer Zack Orion, and guitarist-singer Najah Lewis – saying how tough it is to be a busker in NYC but how they feel it can be rewarding to get their music out to the world. We get snippets of their music, lives and struggles as we watch smiling kids listen on.
Those kids, it turns out, are from New York’s P.S. 048X, a grant recipient school of VH1 Save The Music. They hand each busker a certificate for their year of travel, which leads to heartwarming moments.
“This has changed my whole life,” said Orion.
The video will live on JetBlue’s YouTube and Vimeo channels, and will be supported socially on Facebook and Twitter.
Credits:
JetBlue: “Let Music Move You”
Client: JetBlue Airways
Agency: Rokkan
JetBlue
VP, Marketing: Jamie Perry
Director, Brand & Advertising: Elizabeth Windram
Director, Corporate Social Responsibility: Icema Gibbs
Manager, Regional Marketing & Consumer Promotions: Tara Carson
Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility: Irma Arizmendi
Manager, Corporate Communications: Morgan Johnston
Manager, Corporate Communications: Tamara Young
Manager, Corporate Communications: Danielle Sandars
Manager, Advertising: Phillip Ma
Analyst, Consumer Promotions: Jaclyn Costantino
Analyst, Brand: Chan Tran
VH1
Press and Talent Relations Manager: Trell Thomas
Director of Corporate Sponsorships and Special Events: Jennifer Dunn
Creative: Rokkan/Hone Production
Chief Creative Officer (Rokkan): Brian Carley
Chief Delivery Officer (Rokkan): Joe Tao
Creative Director (Rokkan): Anthony DiPaula
Creative Director (Rokkan): Jeffrey Samson
Associate Copywriter (Rokkan): Katie Lee
Associate Art Director (Rokkan): Alexander Junquera
Account Supervisor (Rokkan): Jenna Clapp
Producer (Rokkan): Michael Wallace
Executive Producer (Hone Production): Greg Tharp
Senior Producer (Hone Production): Tina Lam
Production: Electric Arts Films
Producer: Dave Stekert
Director: Jonathan Yi
Editorial: Fluid
Editor: Peter Sabatino,
Senior Producer: Valerie Iorio
Talent: Superfly Productions
Director, Programming: Josh Roth
Director, Client Services: Jen Ondrejicka
Manager, Client Services: Alyssa Hrabik
Programming Coordinator: Emily Roehl
Intern: Amanda Charlow
Intern: Adrienne Taylor
Mediahub
VP, Associate Media Director: Rachel Allen
Media Supervisor: Shoshana Levine
PR/Social
MullenLowe
SVP, Account Director PR: Jaclyn Ruelle
Account Supervisor: Becky Brand
Account Supervisor: Brittany Topham
Sunshine Sachs
Account Manager, Chad Davis
Senior Account Executive, Claire Tonneson
Junior Account Executive, Kaila Frisone