Richer With Me

AUCKLAND, Friday: Parnell-based social media & content agency Culture has launched a campaign, Richer With Me, which implores citizens to use social media for good.

Black Lives Matter Aotearoa organiser Mez Tekeste said: “One thing I would say to someone who is prejudice, or has ignorant views around black people, is come experience us, bro.

“Over the coming 12-months, the digital crusade will attempt to educate Kiwis by sharing the stories of other New Zealanders reflecting on camera about all those times they have been judged, questioned, subject to prejudice or abuse while internally they know how hard they work, how long they studied, all the great things they are capable of and have contributed to.

“The team at Culture hopes the project will provoke ongoing dialogue and reflection, bringing to the surface what equality and inclusion look like for different communities within New Zealand’s diverse population, and ultimately highlighting that New Zealand is so much richer for having such amazing people of all backgrounds.”

The first video in the series focuses on Black New Zealand.

“The campaign will showcase different communities, including iwi and the LGBTQ community.”

“Equality is something that’s hard to get. I’m looked at differently, therefore I can’t be equal,” says Ronald LaPread, musician, who walked with Martin Luther King Jr 56 years ago.

“I grew up basically being ashamed of my blackness, not really valuing the blackness that I embody.”

Culture social creative Jay Hall, who’s producing the series in-house at Culture, said: “The concept came about following the horrific Christchurch terror attack and was further driven by recent events around the death of George Floyd in America and the Black Lives Matter global movement.

“When you work in an industry that has huge potential to reach an enormous amount of people, you have a moral obligation to do what’s right, to use that platform to break down barriers and expose people to our diverse cultures, religions, sexualities and people, in an attempt to change attitudes in New Zealand.

“Social media is often reactionary, where acute noise is made on chronic issues. By developing an ongoing campaign, we want to ensure there is always a voice for our diverse range of communities here in Aotearoa. There are too many people who only shout and scream for social clout, only for a brief amount of time and only when we hit breaking point.”

Over the coming year, the campaign will showcase different communities sharing why New Zealand is richer with them, including Iwi and the LGBTQ community.

CREDITS

Social Agency: Culture
Creative: Angie Fredatovich
Creative & Production: Jay Hall
PR: Kate Barron, NSPR
Talent: Guled Mire, Mo Kheir, Camille Nakhid, Soraya LaPread, Ronald LaPread, Mez Tekeste

About Culture
Culture manages the social presence and strategies of leading brands brands, including Coca-Cola, Briscoes, Rebel Sport, Canterbury and Huggies.

• www.culture.nz