The Ad Council has launched its Love Has No Labels campaign today to address the wave of racism against the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in the US amid COVID-19. With nearly 2,000 reported incidences of discrimination and hate speech against the API community, the Ad Council’s campaign aims to dispel the increasing racism towards them throughout the pandemic.
The Emmy award-winning Love Has No Labels campaign Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias has been produced and directed by writer and producer Alan Yang. The film encapsulates the fear and trauma associated with API discrimination, highlighting the personal stories and resilience of individuals who have experienced bias, discrimination, harassment and racism during the COVID-19 crisis. It aims to stop the spread of racism and discrimination against the API community.
COMBATTING BIAS & RACISM
The current pandemic has triggered increasing racism, scapegoating and bigotry, particularly towards API populations, perpetuating the harmful stereotypes that the community has fought for so long to dismantle. According to a new survey carried out by the Pew Research Center, Asian Americans are among one of the marginalised groups who are more likely to face racial bias and discrimination during the pandemic. Around one-in-three Asian adults (31%) report being victim to slurs or jokes because of their race or ethnicity since the outbreak began. The majority of Asian Americans (58%) admit it is happening more frequently now than before the pandemic.
“At a time when hateful rhetoric and racially-fuelled discrimination are plaguing the API community, it’s critical that we all play a role in dispelling the racist misconceptions and actions pervading our country,” stated the Ad Council’s President and CEO, Lisa Sherman. “Amid this pandemic and the stresses associated, nobody should have to also endure the added layer of fear that comes from this surge in racial violence and harassment. We hope this film will inspire Americans to rethink their biases and help put an end to the wave of racism facing the API community.”
BREAKING THE SILENCE
Created by Love Has No Labels and film maker Alan Yang, the Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias campaign shares stories from a diverse group of API individuals who have experienced racism and hate during the COVID-19 crisis.
“I’m honoured to be part of this campaign and to help tell real stories of API experiences in America, especially during a time that’s difficult for so many people across the country,” commented the film’s director Alan Yang. “I hope to do my best to represent our community and show that we’re stronger when we support each other and share our experiences honestly and compassionately with others.”
The campaign, includes chef, entrepreneur and TV personality Melissa King. Together with other individuals from the API community, she speaks out about how they are part of the solution, not the problem, aiming to build a sense of humanity and break the silence around the hate and racism impacting the API community.
REFLECTING ON BIAS
Developed in partnership with a number of non-profit partners, the campaign’s social media platform includes questions to reflect on bias, ways to respond to biased or racist language, resources to learn more about the local community’s policies on public safety, links to organisations fighting for justice on-the-ground, and more.
Love Has No Labels‘ brand partners (including Bank of America, Google, Johnson & Johnson, State Farm and Walmart) are supporting the campaign by promoting content across their channels. The integrated campaign will also receive donated media, digital and social support from partners such as 3AF, Asian American Advertising Federation, AAAZA, Admerasia, AIMM (Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing), Barbarian, Constellation Agency, Edelman, Facebook, interTREND, IW Group, Porter Novelli, Publicis Media, Ready State, Ruder Finn and VaynerMedia.
Other Non-profit partners include AARP, American Immigration Council (AIC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Disability: IN, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and Unidos US. In addition, a number of industry partners are working to address bias and discrimination against the API community. These include Act to Change, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Wash the Hate, The All of Us Movement, Stop AAPI Hate, Make Noise Today, Racism Is Contagious, Respond2Racism, Send Chinatown Love and Call it COVID19.
CELEBRATING DIVERSITY
The Love Has No Labels campaign first launched nationally in 2015. Its original Love Has No Labels video was the first of its kind to win an Emmy for an Outstanding Commercial and received more than 169 million views making it the second most viewed social activism video of all time. In 2016, it was followed by We Are America featuring WWE Superstar John Cena celebrating the diversity of America on Independence Day.
In 2018, the campaign launched its first short film in 2018 with Rising, written by Lena Waithe (The Chi, Master of None) and directed by David Nutter (Game of Thrones), posing the question, “Why does it take a disaster to bring us together?” Most recently, in June 2020, Love Has No Labels took a clear stance against racial injustice with Fight For Freedom, revealing the stark contrast of the simple freedoms that many take for granted and the systemic racism Black people face every day in America. In total, the campaign’s five videos have exceeded 387 million online views.
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