Montefiore Einstein tells a bold breakdancing story for Paris Olympics campaign via MIRIMAR
Montefiore Einstein New York has partnered with Aussie owned award-winning creative agency MIRIMAR (based in LA and NY) to develop a breakthrough campaign for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The campaign draws the unexpected parallel of how early detection, be it in sports or in cancer, leads to better outcomes.
The campaign line speaks for itself – Talent is best if spotted early. So is cancer. Cleverly aligning Montefiore Einstein as the official sponsor of spotting it early.
The film “Spot it Early” – a young breakdancer’s eye for talent illustrates that when it comes to cancer and talent, it’s all about spotting it early, and if you do, no victory is out of reach.
Montefiore Einstein’s Comprehensive Cancer Center is among the elite 1% of NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the US, and is ranked in the top 1% of all US hospitals for cancer care according to U.S. News & World Report.
The campaign taps into an authentic cultural connection: Both breakdancing and Montefiore Einstein were born in The Bronx, New York. Today, as we approach the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Montefiore Einstein is making its Summer Olympics debut in Paris with its two-minute broadcast film in the Opening Ceremony. Breakdancing, which got its start just steps away from Montefiore Einstein in The Bronx, will also be making its debut as an Olympic sport.
The hero two-minute broadcast film and accompanying 2:30 online film were created by agency MIRIMAR, and features an authentic homage and celebration of The Bronx and breaking culture in the late 70s and early 80s.
Says Aussie expat John McKelvey, co-founder and CCO of MIRIMAR: “It was a privilege to tell this story. Everyone from Loreen Babcock the CMO who truly embraced the idea, all the way to the entire team that crafted it were united in striving to make a campaign worthy of this moment. The director Seb Edwards was excellent and we all felt the responsibility to do it right.”
Narrated by Bronx icon, hip-hop pioneer and hall of fame rapper Rahiem from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, the film tells the story of a young boy, Reece, whose eye for spotting talent and love for breakdancing saw the opportunity that breaking could have in his community in the South Bronx.
As you move through the film, you are catapulted back to the South Bronx and the Loews Paradise Theatre watching the growth of breaking that leads to Reece’s success story.
As the film ends, an older Reece, the now-breakdancing legend looks upon another young hopeful as the journey continues to the Olympics, 2024.
The film features a Cameo appearance from Bronx hip-hop Icon Grandmaster Caz as the talent show host and features Pep – C who is on the USA’s national Breaking Team.
The film was directed by Sports Emmy Award-Winner Seb Edwards of Park Pictures and shot by multi Emmy Award-Winning Cinematographer Adam Arkapaw. The team was meticulous with their craft and attention to detail creating material so true to the period many thought it was 80’s cinema, and not shot on location in The Bronx in 2024. For the Breakdancing scenes choreographer and cultural advisor Nemesis added authenticity and credibility to the production and brought together real breakdancing crews of today.
The dancers featured in the film were non actors and all part of actual breaking crews. The team used non-traditional casting to tap into local NY breaking clubs, casting young kids, teenagers, and adults. Some of the film’s teenage cast are world champions within their age group. The Graffiti featured is from NY icon Graffiti Artist KEO.
The campaign also features digital, and OLV executions. Another major facet of the campaign will be two prominent pieces painted on the wallscape of 8th avenue, one of the largest OOH spaces in NYC, and one on the Bronx. The talent in the OOH features Alexis Holguin (aka Thriller), one of the breakdancers used in our film.
The campaign’s microsite claims Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center has been Battling Since The Beginning – a powerful unifying statement for both breakdancing and also successfully beating cancer.
Adds McKelvey: “This isn’t just a campaign; it’s about inspiring the world with a story of resilience, triumph and spotting things early, and proving that if you do, whether it’s in your health or a sport, no victory is out of reach.”
Client: Montefiore Einstein
Chief Marketing Officer: Loreen Babcock, SVP
Agency: MIRIMAR
Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer: John McKelvey
Co-founder & Managing Director: Luke McKelvey
Executive Creative Director: Nick Morrissey
Creative Director/ Copywriter: Max Stinson
Creative Director/ Art Director: Derrick Ho
Creative Director/ Art Director: Chris Cavalieri
Creative Director/ Copywriter: Shannon Murphy
Executive Producer: Benton Roman
Executive Producer/ Photography: Lizzy Harris
Executive Producer/ Print: Cindy Perez
Digital Producer: Jennifer Springer
Group Account Director: Aleks Rzeznik
Director of Operations: BreAnna Wilson
Photographer: Zach Gold
Retouching: Jen Toro
Graphic Production Designer: Alan Foster
Digital Designer: Todd King
Business Affairs Manager: Librado Sanchez
Microsite: Sisu
Head of PR: Elizabeth Hess
Production Company: Park Pictures
Director: Seb Edwards
Executive Producer: Jackie Kelman Bisbee
Executive Producer: Scott Howard
Executive Producer: Caroline Kousidonis
Sr. Head of Production/Business Affairs: Anne Bobroff
Head of Production: Chelsea Schwiering
Producer: Laurie Boccaccio
Director of Photography: Adam Arkapaw
Production Designer: Akin McKenzie
Costume Designer: Catherine George
Casting Director, Dancers: Cindy Estada
Casting Director, Actors: Susan Shopmaker
Consultant/Choreographer: Jamal “The. Nemesis” Warren
Consultant/Choreographer: Ivan “Heat Rock One” Cofield
Graffiti Artist: KEO XMEN
Editorial: Cosmo/Trim
Editor: Tom Lindsay
Assistant Editor, Trim: Milo Bennett
Assistant Editor, Cosmo: Edward Schroer
Executive Producer, Trim: Noreen Kha
Executive Producer, Cosmo: Marie Mangahas
Interim HOP, Cosmo: Pamela Cohen
Associate Producer: Marcee Sanchez
VFX/Color Grade: Time Based Arts
VFX Lead: Stephen Grasso
VFX Supervisor: David Mellor
2D: Andre Dias, Bernie Varela, Billy Stockwell, Jack Long, Liam Doyle, Lucy Lawrence, Matt Shires, Ross Ferguson, Sarah Breakwell, Simon Melin, Viola Bascombe
Colorist: Simone Grattarola
Colorist Assistant: Tom Matthews
VFX Producer: Chris Aliano, Mia Saunders
VFX Executive Producer: Josh Robison
Sound Design/Mix: 750MPH
Sound Design & Mix: Sam Ashwell & Jake Ashwell
Producer: Olivia Ray
Music Supervision: Curation Music
Music Supervisor: Sunny Kapoor
Music Clearance: Connie Edwards
Music:
“New Rap Language” by Spoonie Gee & The Treacherous Three “Dance” by ESG
“Rockin’ It” by The Fearless Four
“I Shall Wear a Crown” by Pastor T. L. Barrett
VO Artist/Copywriter: Rahiem Media: TruForm Media Group
6 Comments
I wish I spotted how terrible this idea was two and a half minutes earlier.
This is amazing, you okay?
This is great, beautifully shot, great story. @ffs you okay?
Olympics work is tough and this is a great example of doing it well at scale. Love this authentic storytelling and it so proudly New York!
Well done MIRIMAR and Park Pictures NYC
Olympic work? This isn’t Olympic work… You can tell by the made-up generic signs in the scene that’s meant to look like the Olympics. Like AI’s version of the five rings.
What this is: a grab for borrowed interest and the weakest link I’ve ever seen between a “beautifully shot, great story” (sure) and the product/service it’s meant to be promoting. Lucky it’s for a good cause.
failing to connect what breakdancing and CANCER have anything to do with each other in this?
Its like you tell this whole story about breakdancing( A+ production sure) and at the end, oh yeah watch out for cancer.
Reeeeaally stretching it with this award bait piece