Pete Davidson is lending his voice and deeply personal connection to September 11 to a new national campaign encouraging Americans to transform remembrance into acts of service, kindness and unity. The comedian, actor and writer has partnered with nonprofit 9/11 Day for “UNIITE For Good,” a campaign created by David&Goliath ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Davidson’s connection to the day is deeply personal. His father, Scott Davidson, was a New York City firefighter who was killed while responding to the attacks on the World Trade Center.
“9/11 will always be a hard day,” Davidson said. “But I also grew up seeing what came after, people showing up for each other. Twenty-five years later, we can honor the people we lost by doing the same for our community.”
Anchored by a hero film featuring Davidson, “UNIITE For Good” asks Americans to remember not only the tragedy of September 11, 2001, but also the extraordinary sense of compassion and unity that emerged in its aftermath. Watch below:
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At the center of David&Goliath’s creative idea is the unusual spelling of “UNIITE.” The two I’s stand side by side as a visual tribute to the Twin Towers while also representing individuals coming together. The device turns the campaign’s message of unity into a simple visual reminder that collective action begins with individual people choosing to stand together.
“This movement isn’t about asking people to relive one of our nation’s darkest days. It’s about reminding us that, even in our darkest hour, unity is our greatest collective strength,” said David Angelo, founder and creative chairman of David&Goliath.
“At its core, UNIITE For Good is about two ‘I’s becoming a ‘we,’” Angelo added. “The letters stand as a tribute to the Twin Towers and all that was lost, but they also serve as a reminder that unity starts with individuals choosing to show up for each other and stand together.”
September 11 is federally recognized as a National Day of Service and Remembrance. Since its founding, 9/11 Day has grown the observance into what the organization describes as the nation’s largest annual day of charitable engagement, inspiring more than 30 million Americans annually to participate.
For 9/11 Day co-founder and executive vice president Jay S. Winuk, the mission is also personal. His brother, Glenn Winuk, a volunteer firefighter and EMT, was killed in the line of duty on September 11.
“Twenty-five years ago, our nation experienced an unimaginable loss,” Winuk said. “But, in the midst of the tragedy, we also witnessed something extraordinary. We watched people everywhere put aside their differences and come together to help strangers.”
He said “UNIITE For Good” is designed to carry that spirit forward by encouraging Americans not simply to remember, but to act. The campaign also arrives at a moment when an entire generation of Americans is too young to have firsthand memories of September 11. Rather than asking younger people simply to understand what happened, the initiative gives them a way to participate in what the anniversary can represent moving forward.
For the 25th anniversary, 9/11 Day is expanding its efforts with large-scale Meal Pack events in 50 cities, grants supporting locally organized service projects across 40 states, a new independent documentary hosted by Tribeca Film and a National Moment of Silence at 9:11 a.m. on September 11.
But the campaign’s central ask is considerably simpler: do something good for someone else.
Twenty-five years after a day defined by unimaginable loss, “UNIITE For Good” is betting that one of the most meaningful ways to remember is to recreate something Americans witnessed in its aftermath.
People showing up for one another.
The integrated campaign is rolling out nationally across television, radio, digital, social, print and out-of-home, with a goal of inspiring one million good deeds between now and September 11.
CREDITS:
BRAND: UNITE For Good
AGENCY: DAVID&GOLIATH
- Founder and Creative Chairman: David Angelo
- Chief Creative Officer: Ben Pucell
- Chief Integration Officer: Amy Chiang
- Chief Strategy Officer: Brendan Robertson
- Head of Business Development: Casey Levy
- Executive Director of Strategic Commmunications: Luke Hughes
- Group Account Director: Molly Mejia
- Senior Account Executive: Carter Huwald
- Account Executive: Jared Hounshell
- Executive Creative Director: Avi Pinchevsky
- Executive Creative Director – CW: Courtney Pulver
- Executive Creative Director – AD: Robert Casillas
- Executive Creative Director – Design: Michael Molinaro
- Group Creative Director- CW: Tiffany Smith
- Creative Director – AD Ben Swetizer
- Associate Creative Director – CW: Alberto Calva
- Associate Creative Director – AD: Kevin Descardes
- Associate Creative Director – AD: Evan Bross
- Associate Creative Director – CW: Chris Davis
- Jr Art Director: Jill Jackson
- Jr Copywriter: Maren Edwards
- Senior Motion Designer: Eric Johnson
- Managing Director, Creative Technology: Antonio Marcato
- Managing Director, Broadcast Production: Paul Albanese
- Senior Producer: Jane Krull
- Director of Business Affairs: Quynh-An Phan
- Sr Business Affairs Manager: Kristina Van
- Managing Director, Integrated Production: Peter Basset
- Senior Integrated Producer: Michael Van Pelt
- Associate Integrated Producer: Nico Dangla
- Executive Print Producer: Elisa Atwood
- Senior Strategist: Terrance Lewis
- Senior Communication Planner: Alanie Abron
- Senior Project Manager: Amanda Bercovitch
