Ad of the Day: NYC guerrilla campaign boasts ‘cure’ to combat Asian hate
Independent creative agency Anchor Worldwide has developed an art-meets-guerrilla marketing campaign to combat the spread of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate crimes in New York after the pandemic sadly resulted in a spike in instances of this behavior.
Anchor Worldwide boxes have popped up in NYC / Anchor
‘Cure for Racism: AAPI Formula’ is a seemingly new pharma product that claims to end racism with one pill. On closer inspection of the pharmaceutically-styled packaging, locals can read that the only cure for racism is ‘love, compassion, introspection, empathy, courage and conscience.’
Throughout the city, hundreds of boxes have been planted in pharmacies. The fine print on the box reads: ‘There is no recommended dosage of anti-racism treatment. Only learning and understanding can help. If you are experiencing racist thoughts or behavior and feel increasingly violent towards others, just stay home and rest. Forever. No one wants racists out on the city streets. We all belong here.’
“We wanted to use an unconventional delivery mechanism to share our anti-racism message because racism really is a kind of a disease in the way that it spreads and infects people’s minds,” said Aaron Sedlak, chief creative officer at Anchor Worldwide.
“While we have found ways to prevent and treat Covid, AAPI hate crimes have continued unabated. So when art director Kevin Bae proposed a project to support StopAAPIhate.org, an organization devoted to combating AAPI racism, we as an agency immediately embraced it.”
Further amplification for the campaign will come from mock ads placed in different boroughs with copy such as: ‘Feel less racist, Fast!’ The QR code on these billboards leads people to the organization’s website.
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