When I began my career in advertising, I served as an apprentice to a city of “Eff” word masters, artisans if you will. Five borough dwellers who had elevated the use of the four-letter word to an art form. New Yorkers would say the eloquent, while brash use of f*ck is simply an extension of being unabashedly woke and real with each other.
So kudos are in order for users of the “F” and other trains in the city. According to Planned Parenthood of New York City statistics, New Yorkers just don’t say “f*ck” a lot, collectively the 8 million or so living there f*ck more than the rest of the country. So, it only makes sense that Planned Parenthood would want to ensure that all sexually active New Yorkers have access to reproductive health care and safe sex.
Thus the message – “Protect Our Freedom to F*ck.”
This powerful and fresh fundraising campaign, targeted at millennials, from BBH N.Y hit the tri-state area last week and includes out-of-home, social, digital display, print and a few retail partnerships and online video which you can see below.
The :46 online video directed by Smuggler’s Randy Krallman features a diverse cast of “I-am-woke-as-f*ck” New Yorkers in various locations around Manhattan — sidewalks, chess table, bar, office, rooftop, park bench, exiting a limo, laundromat, bed (of course), theater dressing room — who drop F-bombs with the beauty and grace of say a Construction Worker dancing to Romeo and Juliet.
Millennial New Yorkers will see the messaging in areas most relevant to them. For example, getting into a taxi (yeah, they still exist) late night or coasters, posters, condoms, and stickers in bars.
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“Planned Parenthood of New York City had to be brave and make fearless decisions to overcome their daunting challenges. So our first goal was getting them to embrace that. Which they certainly did,” explained BBH NY CCO, Gerard Caputo to Adweek.
Caputo added, “We wanted to be celebratory in the face of massive opposition rather than plead their case in a typical PSA campaign that’s easy to ignore. ‘Freedom to F*ck’ is meant to speak to a younger generation more empowered than ever and hopefully willing to help. It all starts with the courage to do something different and we believe we have already succeeded.”
Not all are amused by the new campaign as evidenced by Project Republic conservative writer Danielle Jackson who says:
“The left’s favorite baby butchers want to protect your freedom to f***.
I hate giving them clicks for this, but the video needs to be seen to believed. Just do me a favor and give them a thumbs down after you watch.”
While the work doesn’t mention it, the campaign does come on the heels of Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh. There are some who believe that with Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement, that roe v wade could be at stake.
Dawn Laguens, Executive Vice President of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, sent an email to supporters last week.
“Brett Kavanaugh has a dangerous track record of trying to block women from getting access to birth control and abortion care… Just last year, he ruled to block an undocumented woman who recently entered the United States from obtaining an abortion. He also ruled in favor of bosses denying their employees birth control coverage based on their personal religious objections.”
Planned Parenthood NYC is also rolling out some swag (including bags and shirts). The organization also worked closely with a number of New York City establishments, including Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg and Overthrow Boxing to distribute the swag and promote the “Freedom to F*ck” campaign.
Planned Parenthood of New York City noted that in addition to being “proud to provide abortion services,” donations “will go toward ensuring all New Yorkers have access to the vital services they need, like birth control, STD testing and treatment, HIV testing and counseling, vasectomies, and pregnancy testing and counseling. … And we can’t forget sex education on consent, LGBTQ inclusivity, and healthy relationships.”
While it may seem vulgar to other parts of the country and conservatives, the campaign is very New York from top to bottom. And that makes REEL360 a fan. If we offered a link to donate to Planned Parenthood, it could be construed that we lean toward one side.
Ah, f*ck it. If you would like to donate, click here.
CREDITS
CLIENT: Planned Parenthood of New York City
Client: Planned Parenthood of New York City
Board Chair: Katie Danziger
Chief Executive Officer and President: Laura McQuade
Chief of External Affairs: Christina Chang
Chief of Development: Keith Corso
VP of Communications and Marketing: Adrienne Verrilli
Communications Director: Carrie Mumah
Agency: BBH NY
Chief Creative Officer: Gerard Caputo
Group Creative Directors: Hugo Bierschenk, Dean Woodhouse
Copywriter: Liz Loudy
Art Director: Casey Schweikert
Head of Design: Bruno Borges
Designer: Rachel Hess
Head of Production: Kate Morrison
Executive Producer: Abbie Noon
Producer: Rebecca O’Neill
Senior Print Producer: Rachel Freed
Director of Business Affairs: Librado Sanchez
Head of Account Management: Brett Edgar
Account Supervisor: Lucie Kittel
Account Manager: Cristina Flores
Office Coordinator: Elena Licursi
Chairman, Global Chief Strategy Officer: Sarah Watson
Head of Strategy: Kendra Salvatore
Strategy Director: Jenifer Murray
Group Communications Planning Director:Darus Zahm
Communications Planner: Christin Wiegand
Production Artists: Benny Perez, Sam Gilliland
Media Agency: MODCo Media
President: Eileidh Bamford
Business Manager: Libby Van Meter
VP, Media: Jodi Andrews
Associate Media Director: Jeff Klein
Director, OOH: Felicia McCleary
Production Company: Smuggler
Co-Founder: Brian Carmody
Co-Founder: Patrick Milling-Smith
Executive Producer: Sue Yeon Ahn
Director: Randy Krallman
Line Producer: Ian Blain
DP: Ed David
Editorial Company: Friendshop
MD/ Partner: Melissa Mapes
Editor: Ben Suenaga
Assistant Editor: Josh Nowlan
Producer: Laura Shackleford
Audio House: Sound Lounge
Mixer: Seth Phillips
Head of Production: Liana Rosenberg
Producer: Becca Falborn
Music: The Mike Theodore Orchestra “The Bull”
Music Consultant: Mind Your Music
Founder, CEO: Karyn Rachtman
VFX/Finishing: The Mill NYC
Senior Producer: Freya Hewett
Associate Producer: Ija Ochoa
2D Artist: Ben Kwok
VFX Supervisor: Kieran Hanrahan
Colorist: Michael Rossiter
Photographers
Jonathan Turton
Abbey Drucker
Ricky Rhodes
Source: Planned Parenthood of New York City
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.
