Evolve

Social Issue: Gender (Human) Equity

Evolve: This is the word that distinguishes us from the rest of life on the planet. It also implies that we as humans have not yet reached our peak.

Problem: Right now most problems are being portrayed as a selling point to get people to vote a certain way and not as potential things that can be solved. Because of this, facts are purposefully skewed and manipulation tactics are common to pit one side against the other. Today, the societal ecosystem of the USA is in a very confrontational state. The way we as a society view facts is that they are, without a doubt, true no matter what and anyone who believes otherwise is seen as an enemy. In other words, our society right now is designed to utilize problems rather than actually fix them. The cultural climate changes faster than people can adjust. Most still view the world the same as when they were young and act as such rather than treating it as an ever-changing ecosystem. We are no longer evolving with it. Historically, we know that having a society function in this way stifles progression.

Mission: Bringing awareness and start to create a dialog about the issue of equality among humans of all genders without directly alienating opposing viewpoints.

Objective: To get people to start working together towards a constructive solution rather than trying to fight with each other over skewed facts.

The Power of Knowledge: The most powerful weapon we have at this time is information. Most information we get is often filtered through many different biases, but the more we learn the more we grow—the more we Evolve. Most of us have been told from a young age that the fight against gender equality is over, but what we as a people need to realize is that just because we are told something doesn’t make it true.

The Dangers of a Call to Action: In this age, people are accustomed to instant gratification so most ad campaigns focus on a call to action. This usually involves things like “donate now”, “sign a petition”, or vote for something to change. All of these actions take no more than a minute to complete, which is the danger inherent in this system. Once people feel like they helped in some way, they tend to push the issue out of their minds. So by removing this instant gratification, we keep that thought of a better world alive and present in their psyche.

The first ad wave will kick the campaign off with a well-thought-out, well-researched, and most importantly, well-designed series of ads. These will provide information by catching the viewer’s eye in places where the viewer already devotes their full attention (i.e. full-page magazine ads and Facebook sponsored posts). In this phase, I’m mainly looking to spread important information about the topic and get people thinking. At this point in time, there is no call to action so as not to alienate people who have different opinions on the topic. I just want to present facts about the negatives and let people come up with an idea of how not having this issue would be better for society. However, there will still be a resource for those who want to get involved right away. These are the types of ads that companies will be more willing to spread because it will make them appear to be aligned with the views of their consumers, thus increasing profits without making a committed stand themselves.

The second ad wave will work towards the normalization of the campaign through overexposure. These ads may be found on cereal boxes, bus sides, and school posters. They will be recognizable at a glance as a continuation of the first wave, but will not really need a second glance from the casual viewer. This phase is inspired by the success of the “Got Milk” campaign. The ads will be ones that people only read when they are bored or genuinely interested in the subject matter. So they are a little more direct with their messaging with a clearer call to action. These ads will be in constant circulation to keep the idea of the problem prevalent in people’s heads on a daily basis, creating a sense of familiarity with the images, much like how name recognition is the most important factor in getting elected to a position.

The third and final phase will be centered around a large-scale guerilla-style ad/event with a clear call to action. One day that is dedicated to Evolve. A true in-your-face oversaturation, every you look you should see Evolve. In this wave, I plan on utilizing the built-up and implied benefits and familiarity from phases one and two to create a real passion in the viewer to act. Helped by sponsorships, as many billboards as we can acquire will go up overnight, most notably over all of Times Square. Magazines will be provided with clear vinyl overlays with the logo on them. Affiliated brands will also be provided with limited-edition, co-branded merchandise that will be released on this day. This whole tactic is designed to create a sense of togetherness in facing this topic rather than creating animosity between separate views.