CNN’s campaign for season two of United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell turned on Bell’s belief that having uncomfortable conversations creates change.

To turn that belief into action, the show traveled to places in the U.S. that are at the epicenter of some of our most difficult cultural conversations, such as Kentucky coal country and the country’s largest Muslim population in Dearborn, Mich.

Working with Director Trish Govoni and BYO Productions, producer Jeff Mielcarz traveled around the country to shoot some of the people who appeared in this season. Each person confronted the way people see them, asking questions such as, “does it make you uncomfortable that I’m black? … that I’m a Muslim? … that I know you judge me by my accent?”

The spot is intended as an invitation for viewers to have the sort of difficult conversations that can result in social change.

Season two of United Shades of America premiered on CNN on April 30 and airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET.

CREDITS

Allison Gollust, CMO, CNN Creative Marketing

Rick Lewchuk, Senior Vice President, CNN Creative Marketing

Whit Friese, Vice President & Group Creative Director, CNN Creative Marketing

Sean Houston, Creative Director, CNN Creative Marketing

Lara Hurst, Account Director, CNN Creative Marketing

Jeff Mielcarz, Sr. Writer/Producer, CNN Creative Marketing

Dan Brown, Sr. Director, Production, CNN Creative Marketing

Robert Poulton, Sr. Director, Design, CNN Creative Marketing

Jenny Specker, Sr. Design Manager, CNN Creative Marketing

Julie Bitton, Sr. Production Manager, CNN Creative Marketing

Trish Govoni, Director, BYO Productions

Jordan Tarazi, Executive Producer, BYO Productions

Jason Weindruch, Production Manager, BYO Productions

Brian Simmons, Editor/Compositor, CNN Image & Sound

Nick Wood, Composer, Syn Music

Farin Hoover, Producer, Syn Music

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