Hopeful Hair

Cause-Related Creative Response - Single

2023

Rethink, Toronto/Montreal/Vancouver/New York
t: 416-583-2178
w: rethinkideas.com

Client: YWCA Metro Vancouver Creative Director: Hans Thiessen, Leia Rogers, Arjang Esfandiyari Art Director: Grace Cho, Steve Miller Designer: Justin Kowalczuk, Brie Lim, Heidi Kao, Zoe Boudreau Writer: Arjang Esfandiyari, Jon Manning Chief Strategy Officer: Sean McDonald Strategist: Sam Massooleh Producer: April Haffenden, Anna Jane Edmonds, Kate Spencer, AJ Merrick, Jillian Arsenault, Scott Russell, Keegan Shay, Meg Norton, Kerry Bhangu, Gurbir Grewal Studio Artist: Jonathan Cesar, Darina Kosikova Director: Brian Cheung Editor: Brian Cheung Developer: Brad Stapleton, Steve Lam, Emily Wiens Toronto Unit Director: Philip Kim Director of photography: Philip Kim Audio House: Wave Productions Sound Engineer: Craig Zarazun Chief Creative Officer: Aaron Starkman, Mike Dubrick Account Services: Kennedy Crawford, Nicole Kerrigan Strategic Communications Lead: Meredith Montgomery PR Manager: Jacky Le, Chenda McKissick Client Supervisor: Amy Juschka, Marina Arnaud, Firoozeh Radjai, Jasmine Ramze Rezaee

On September 16, 2022, Mahsa Amini was killed by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s “Morality Police” for wearing her headscarf improperly, an illegal offense in the country with a history of oppressing its citizen’s human rights, particularly womens’ under the name of Islamic Law. As a fierce advocate for women’s rights since 1987, the YWCA was compelled to answer this call. As the revolution dragged on, and media cycles passed, interest was waning. We would need to do something unique to recapture the public’s attention. Hair was the reason Mahsa Amini lost her life. Hair sparked the largest revolution led by women. So, it only made sense that hair become the medium to rally Canadians, reignite their outrage, and amplify our message.
We created a life-size, interactive banner that invited people to cut a lock of their hair and fasten it to spell out the rallying slogan: WOMAN. LIFE. FREEDOM.