Australian Human Rights Commission launches ‘Racism. It Stops with Me’ campaign via Think HQ
Purpose-driven agency Think HQ has created a national campaign for the Australian Human Rights Commission that calls on those without lived experience of racism to reflect on its root causes and impacts – and do more to address it.
The ‘Racism. It Stops with Me’ campaign prompts all of us to reflect on racism and its impacts, to build awareness of how racism operates at institutional and interpersonal levels and give people tools to recognise and address it.
Think HQ developed campaign assets including Community Service Announcement (CSA) videos, outdoor advertising, digital and social media content, campaign banners and other supporting collateral to stimulate open conversation and reflection – while avoiding blame or stigma.
VIEW THE LONG FORM FILM
VIEW THE 60 SEC FILM
VIEW THE 30 SEC FILM
The campaign films include a full-length CSA and 60-, 30- and 15-second versions along with donated campaign and network broadcast support from Mamamia, Pedestrian Group, SBS Digital, Nine Online, The Guardian and Twitter; as well as QMS Outdoor.
In addition to the campaign videos, Think HQ worked with the Australian Human Rights Commission to develop a refreshed website, and created the media plan to support the joint media rollout with the Commission.
Think HQ recruited spokespeople and everyday talent, including those who have lived experience of racism, and those who don’t, to appear in the campaign CSA. The talent was invited to share their personal reflections on racism and inequality, through a series of 14 carefully developed and thought-provoking questions. By asking them all for their insight on the nature of racism across common settings like sport, school or work, the nature of the problem emerges. The various answers to the question: “Can I be sure my name won’t stop me from getting a job interview”, for example, shed light on the way individual and institutional biases impact on opportunities and outcomes.
Campaign spokespeople include former Socceroos captain and human rights activist Craig Foster, social justice advocate and broadcaster Tasneem Chopra OAM, Australian Indigenous model, and advocate Keyarny Lamb and Melbourne United basketballer Jack White.
The campaign aims to spark conversations around racism and drive traffic to the campaign website where individuals and organisations can further engage with resources including conversation guides and a Workplace Cultural Diversity Tool.
Says Jen Sharpe, founder and managing director, Think HQ: “The campaign philosophy is a mirror reflection of Think HQ’s unwavering focus on championing diversity and inclusion and encouraging compassion and understanding.
“By reflecting on the impacts of racism, and taking a stand against it, we can build a fair and equal society for all. It has been a privilege to create such an important piece of work.”
The multi-level campaign would both prompt reflection and provide tools for action, explained Think HQ Group Head of Creative Andy Lima.
Says Chin Tan, Race Discrimination Commissioner: “Racism continues to undermine justice and fairness in Australia. We see it in discrimination and power imbalances that create inequitable outcomes for First Nations and culturally diverse communities. We see it in continued antisemitism and Islamophobia, in the surge of anti-Asian hate during the pandemic, and in the rise of far-right extremism.”
The creative campaign and website launch on 12 July 2022.
View the website here: itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au
Think HQ
Jen Sharpe – Founder and Managing Director
Andy Lima – Group Head of Creative
Nathan Barrow – Senior Art Director
Camilo Suarez – Art Director
Ryan Graf – Senior Copywriter
Jess Glass – Senior Account Director
Prof Shane Hearn – Head of First Nations Communications and Engagement
Stefan Delatovic – Head of Content and Owned Strategy
Gabby Brigden – Head of PR, Content and Events
Jennifer Aitken – PR Account Director
Juliette Elfick – PR Senior Account Manager
Matilda Hammond – PR Account Executive
Jessica Billimoria – Head, CultureVerse
Elise Erwin – CultureVerse, Senior Account Director
Preity Bhandary – CultureVerse, Account Coordinator
Dr Andre Gulyas – Research Analyst
Vanessa Langenberg – Research Associate
Production – Think HQ
Yeoseop Yoon – Director
Dom Evans – Head of Production
Bridget Materia – Producer
Michael Lincoln – Cinematographer
Lily Rolfe – Production Coordinator
Matthew Fregnan – Video Editor
Xiahong Jiang – Motion Designer
Bridget Bourke – Sound Designer
Olivier Laude – Head of Digital
Don Katugampala – Developer
6 Comments
Racism exists in Australia. It’s abhorrent and should be called out. And here’s the ‘but’…
Some of those featured came to Australia to escape racism.
And as a white Anglo-Saxon throwback I’ve seen Australia’s attitude around race, religion, sexuality, change markedly in my lifetime.
We have a gay Malay Chinese born woman as our Goreign Minister.
We have a Pakistani born Muslim playing Test Cricket for Australia.
Mixed race marriages are considered normal when only two generations ago Catholics and Protestants hardly ever married.
We have a Muslim TV host win a Logie and a Malay Chinese host one of our most popular TV shows.
We mix easily with each other and see the way regular Aussies look changing every day.
Who of us hasn’t been treated by an Asian born Aussie doctor, or dentist? It’s the norm now.
Like I said, racism exists in Australia and white Australia’s history of mistreating aboriginal Australians is a national disgrace, but we are getting there and faster than most. Here’s a question for you.
‘Do you exclude people from your life just because of their race?’ I doubt that you do. So, if you and I don’t, why do we always do advertising as if everyone else does?
Most of the Indian and Pakistani taxi drivers I talk to tell me they experience less racism here than in their homelands. Same for the Tamils from Sri Lanka, the Malay Chinese from Malaysia, the Muslims from India, the Christians from Aceh, the Indians in Fiji, the South Sudanese from Sudan; the list goes on and on. So, when I see a poster of a Muslim woman with the headline; ‘Do I see people who look like me in positions of power and authority?’ My answer is ‘Yes. But not many’. However, I can guarantee you I don’t see anyone who looks like me in a position of power in Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, UAE, Sudan, or China! either.
Wouldn’t it be nice, to see a racism campaign that included recognition of the progress we have made and give voice to those migrants who view Australia and Australians as a refuge from racism, not the source of it.
Or we could listen to the voices of people who have been subjected to racism in Australia. Instead of wanting to be congratulated for getting some things right some of the time we could acknowledge that racism is an issue and that speaking from a position of privilege means that we’re not really qualified to make a judgement on what is ‘enough’. “It’s not as bad as it used to be” doesn’t mean anything for people who are being significantly disadvantaged now. Try imagining how it feels to be ignored, overlooked, abused for who you are instead of being the person that everyone wants to please.
You miss the point. Everyone agrees with the purpose of the comms. Not everyone will agree, or be motivated, with the way it’s been communicated. People can soon tire of continually being made to feel guilty for an injustice they vehemently oppose and have not contributed to. Occasionally, it’s worth stopping for a second to remind ourselves that progress is often best achieved through a combination of praise and criticism. As for ‘try imagining how it feels to be ignored, overlooked, abused for who you are instead of being the person that everyone wants to please’. You’d be wrong to assume I haven’t.
hey Mmmm – shut da fuck up
‘I’m not racist, but’… Come on whitey.
I constantly am stopped because I have a beard and look like I’m from a low socio-economic background. Nothing to do with my skin, I’m stopped by all races. But a good point. If only we could get back to judging people by their character instead of their race… Hang on. Why do we judge people at all?