The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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Agency: McCann NY
Client: Verizon
Date: Jun 2019
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Verizon is partnering with PFLAG, the nation’s largest organization uniting families and allies with people who are LGBTQ, for a campaign that shows stories of real families that have been torn apart and reunited through better communication and understanding.

PFLAG and Verizon enlisted director and LGBTQ supporter, Lee Hirsch, of the award-winning documentary, Bully for a campaign that showcases how a bad first call doesn’t have to be the last. They connected real people and their families and gave them a second chance for loved ones to express their support.

In the film, ‘Love Calls Back,’ LGBTQ people tell their stories of how their families either didn’t understand their orientations or how they reacted poorly to learning their brothers, sisters, sons and daughters were LGBTQ. The touching stories show very real calls of those family members who reacted badly called their estranged family and had heart-to-heart talks with them, proving that love can ‘call back’ and help heal old wounds.

One of the participants is Tashan Lovemore. He grew up in a religious, Jamaican-American family who was not very supportive of alternate lifestyles. He came out as bisexual when he was younger and his family didn’t support him right away. When he came out as trans, his family mostly accepted him – except for his brother Estebon. ‘Love Calls Back’ shows the tearful call between the two and how Estebon apologizes and says how he will always be there for Tashan. Lovemore is now an outreach worker for the LGBTQ community in New York.

Verizon will also be making a monetary donation to PFLAG, as it did last year, when it donated $250,000.

Credits

Verizon:

Diego Scotti, Chief Marketing Officer

Andrew McKechnie, Chief Creative Officer

David Bowen, VP Creative Marketing

Ricardo Aspiazu, Director, Creative Marketing

Christina Hull, Creative Marketing

Greg Sacharoff, Creative Marketing

McCann NY:

Rob Reilly, Global Creative Chairman

Eric Silver, Chief Creative Officer, North America

Sean Bryan, Co-Chief Creative Officer, New York

Tom Murphy, Co-Chief Creative Officer, New York

Wayne Best, Deputy Co-Chief Creative Officer, Verizon

Dan Donovan, Deputy Co-Chief Creative Officer, Verizon

Karsten Jurkschat, Creative Director

Alex Little, Creative Director

Kyle Harrison, Junior Copywriter

Ezequiel Consoli, Junior Art Director

Nathy Aviram, Chief Production Officer

John McAdorey, SVP Executive Producer

Doug Harrison, Producer

Laura Kellerman, Producer

Eric David Johnson (aka DJ Bunny Ears), SVP Executive Music Producer

Dan Gross, Music Producer

Alex Caredes, SVP Executive Account Director

Elyssa Nemetsky, Account Director

Jane Huh, Account Supervisor

Jordan Hamilton, Account Executive

David Webster, EVP Executive Strategy Director

Leah Brier, SVP Group Strategy Director

AJ Feld, VP Strategy Director

Michael Goldstein, VP Communications Planning Director

Teresa Mitchell, Senior Project Manager

Krista Spindler, Project Manager

Danielle Korn, EVP Director of Business Affairs

Wilmien Blake, SVP Director of Business Affairs

Hovannes Moussati, Business Manager

Terry Marcello, VP Director of Talent Payment

Debbie Myllek, Talent Payment Manager

Moxie Pictures:

Lee Hirsch, Director

Robert Fernandez, Executive Producer

Katie Connell, Head of Production

Matt O’Shea, Assistant Director

Josh Kraszewski, Key DP

Ric Sarmiento, DP

Brett Wiley, DP - Cleveland

Tyler Meason, DP - Utah

Trevor Herrick, Production Supervisor

Jennifer Venditti, Casting

Union Editorial NY:

Caryn MacLean, Executive Producer / Partner

Susan Motamed, Senior Producer

Christopher Huth, Editor

Jean Taylor, Assistant Editor

Kirk Balden, Flame Artist

Mike Howell, Colorist (Color Collective)

Sonic Union:

Brian Goodheart, Mix Engineer

Nathanael Taylor, Producer

A special thanks to PFLAG National:

Brian Bond, Executive Director

Diego Miguel Sanchez, Director of Advocacy, Policy & Partnerships

Jamie Curtis, Director of Chapter Engagement

Liz Owen, Director of Communications

Maggie Ardiente, Director of Development