In the film we see three stereotypical stories play out across each other. In the first scenario we see a group of Black teenagers at night joking around a convenience store. Thugs? Then we cut to a Black pregnant mom waiting at a bus station with her 4-year-old son and newborn baby. Un-wed welfare queen? Finally, we see a 30-year-old Black man driving a Chevy Monte Carlo while blasting music. Criminal? After introducing the 3 stories, actor Mahershala Ali’s VO says: “If you think you know what happens next, ask yourself why?” That’s when these stories unfold and play with the viewer’s racial bias. The teenagers at the store pay for their snacks and leave, the mother gets picked up by her caring husband and lastly, the man arrives at his niece’s birthday party while the VO says: “Let’s widen the screen so we can widen our view.”
Racial inequality permeates the fabric of American life. In 2020 we were forced to confront the nation’s deep rooted racist history after the murder of yet another unarmed Black man, George Floyd, at the hands of the police. Black trauma trended, on the news, in our social feeds – it was inescapable. These negative images find their way into the content people consume, showing Black life in extremes – thugs, or criminals.
P&G has been using their platform to discuss race with “The Talk” (2017), “The Look” (2019) and “The Choice” (2020). They recognized that this moment called for a powerful response and committed to moving beyond awareness and into tangible actions. “Widen The Screen” is an expansive platform that will create systemic change by providing more opportunities to Black creators. It will start to counter this narrative by inviting people to widen their view of Black life.
When launching an industry-wide movement, the campaigns people watch set the tone for everything thereafter. We knew it was not enough to just say “Widen the Screen”; we needed to set the tone through our actions. Through diligent research and a dedicated production team, we employed over 90% Black crew members, including our Director, DP, Editor, and Sound Mixer.
At the heart of this project are men and women who are directly affected by racial inequality in every facet of their lives. Mothers, fathers, friends who are not the societal archetype of “Thug” or “Prodigy,” but are humans nonetheless. More specifically, they are Black Creators who have stories to tell but were never given the space to speak. This campaign made us demand more of ourselves as advertising and media creators. To set the standard high for our industry and widen the screen for the gamut of Black stories.
