Sew Branded, the brand image and marketing consultancy based in New York, has recently been honoured with a Clio Music Award for their “Together Against Bullying” public service announcement, which featured the boy band phenomenon One Direction. The video in question was the lead communication piece in a diverse, multi-media campaign, which created a social movement around the phrase; "Live Nice, Love Everyone, and Move Together Against Bullying." The collaboration, which has been recognised on the CLIO Music Shortlist within the Integrated Campaign medium, also included a special collection of back-to-school products, with a portion of the sales donated to fund anti-bullying education programs across the US.
The video was the lead piece in a multi-media campaign, which created a social movement around the phrase; "Live Nice, Love Everyone, and Move Together Against Bullying."
The video which leads the campaign (below), ran nationwide in cinemas and on television last year alongside a digital media plan targeting students, teachers, and parents. The video has a simple message; “Live nice, be confident, original, unique and true to yourself,” and it was a nice tough to involve a group who are so beloved of the pre-teen crowd the message is trying to reach as its spokesmen. The campaign also featured a collection of behind-the-scenes footage that was featured at the group's American concerts and shared online and through social media, as well as a variety of digital content, including a suite of personalised videos and GIFs, where each band member discussed what the campaign meant to them and why they chose to participate in it. The overall PR campaign garnered over five billion consumer impressions!
One Direction & Sew Branded – Together Against Bullying
Scott Woodward, CEO and chief creative officer for Sew Branded, said that "Being honoured with the CLIO Music Award for this very special campaign is a significant achievement,” and he is “Grateful to the jury for their recognition.” He also expresses his thanks to One Direction for “Encouraging youth around the world to celebrate their individuality” and is inspired to be included in the Clios, which he calls “The epitome of innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design and communication.” Liam Payne from One Direction, also expressed his own thoughts on the campaign. He believes it has “Touched so many people in such a positive way,” and himself and the best of the band “Could not be more excited to learn the industry has recognised this effort.” He underlines how working on the campaign has been personally rewarding for them, and they are “Thrilled the message has resonated with fans around the world to treat others with respect and dignity."
“We are thrilled the message has resonated with fans around the world to treat others with respect and dignity." Liam Payne, One Direction
The campaign has also been recognised at the Interactive Advertising Competition Awards, where it took home awards in the Outstanding Integrated and Best Social Media Campaign categories. It also took “Best of Show” at the Summit International Awards and Woodward personally received the Emery Award from the Hetrick-Martin Institute, alongside Chelsea Clinton, David Mixner, and Super Bowl Champion Brendon Ayanbadejo, for his work raising awareness of anti-bullying. This isn't the first time he's collaborated with top names in music to raise awareness either, as he also spearheaded the 2012 "We Supply Kindness” campaign with Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation.
Official One Direction Website
Official Together Against Bullying Website
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK who honestly believes that all One Direction songs have been engineered to sound just enough like songs we already know in order to trick us into thinking we like them. Nice hair though.
