“Meta, Barrett Hofherr, and Only Today Join Forces in Creating PSA to Combat Asian American Hate”

Creative advertising agency Barrett Hofherr and production company Only Today, based in Portland, have joined forces to create a public service announcement (PSA) for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIHM). The PSA aims to raise awareness and combat the rise of Asian American hate, which experienced a significant increase during the pandemic. The commercial will premiere in May, coinciding with APIHM.

Director Brian G. Cheung, the second individual to be hired by Barrett, approached founder and Executive Creative Director (ECD) Jamie Barrett to collaborate on conceptualizing and creating the PSA. Once the project was completed, it was presented to partners such as Meta and Meta Prosper. Meta Prosper is a new social community and initiative dedicated to empowering and amplifying Asian and Pacific Islander business owners and professionals on platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

The PSA shares a compelling narrative of Asian Americans from diverse backgrounds through a series of photographs. The inclusion of archival images serves as a reminder that Asians have a rich and storied history in the United States. The commercial first introduces an older couple, followed by a younger couple, and subsequently showcases a father and son as well as a nuclear family. The narrator poses the question, “Do you know what they all have in common?” to which she answers, “They’re American.”

Brian G. Cheung, who currently works as a freelance director at Only Today, expressed the importance of the message conveyed in the PSA, particularly in light of the increased usage of derogatory terms like “The China Virus” during the pandemic and the subsequent surge in anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States.

Meta Prosper shared the PSA across its social media channels and urged numerous organizations within the community to do the same. These organizations included Asians in Advertising, Dear Asian Americans, The Asian American Foundation, Stand with Asian Americans, Asian Leaders Alliance, Goldhouse, Asian Hustle Network, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, Welcome to Chinatown, and Meta Prosper itself. Barrett Hofherr and Only Today generously donated their time and resources to bring this project to life.

Credits

Agency: Barrett Hofherr
Executive Creative Director: Jamie Barrett

Production Company: Only Today
Director: Brian G. Cheung

Music Company: Human

Mix House: One Union