Advised on art direction for the interactive AR film "BLINK. AND THEY'RE GONE." in collaboration with Wunderman Thompson India, ensuring it authentically represented Jimmy Nelson’s vision while integrating animations to enhance his artistic approach and highlighting the need for cultural diversity.
"If we let the cultural identity of the indigenous people disappear now, it will be lost forever. It’s literally a case of BLINK and they’re gone. And if this happens, we will lose one of the most valuable assets we have – our rich human cultural diversity and heritage. The depth and wealth of our humanity will shrink. This must not happen. Our collective cultural identity is too valuable to be destroyed by homogenization. We must unify and fight to support indigenous cultures and take personal pride in the myriad of their cultural traditions that are still to be found on the planet today."
Jimmy Nelson
Artist
Wunderman Thompson is a global creative, data, and technology agency that partners with clients to inspire growth. The Jimmy Nelson Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness and preserving the cultural identities of indigenous communities worldwide through powerful visual storytelling and immersive experiences.
In an interconnected, multicultural, and globalized world, the cultural identities of indigenous people are at risk of being erased. The challenge was to create a compelling message to highlight the alarming depletion of these cultures and to preserve their diversity.
We collaborated with Wunderman Thompson India to launch the campaign 'BLINK. AND THEY’RE GONE.' The campaign included an innovative AR-Human interface built on the Facebook platform, where viewers could activate a face-off with the last few tribes by switching to selfie mode. The interactive film would stop playing if the viewer blinked, symbolizing the fragile existence of these cultures.I played a crucial role in advising and providing feedback to ensure the film authentically represented Jimmy Nelson’s vision, while also integrating animations to expand his artistic approach.. The project also involved documenting tribes globally at an increasingly fast pace to symbolize how quickly they can disappear.
Photographer Jimmy Nelson believes that preserving indigenous cultures is essential for the soul of humanity. As the lines between humanity, technology, past, and present blur, understanding who we are and where we come from becomes increasingly important. The campaign aimed to use technology, which often threatens cultural diversity, to protect it by promoting a deeper understanding across different cultures.
The campaign received significant media attention and awareness, being shortlisted 13 times at Cannes Lions and winning a Bronze Lion in Industry Craft. It also garnered a Gold Pencil, two Silver Pencils, and a Bronze at the One Show. The success of this project led to various new opportunities, making it an integral part of the immersive show "The Last Sentinels" hosted by Culturespaces, furthering the mission to raise awareness of and celebrate indigenous cultures.
Credits:
Jimmy Nelson Studio
Artist: Jimmy Nelson
Art Director & Curator: Larissa Rosvaenge
PR Manager: Marit de Hoog
Project Manager: Coco Box
Agency: JWT India & J. Walter Thompson Amsterdam
Director: Senthil Kumar (CCO, JWT India)
Creative Team
Bas Korsten & Senthil Kumar
PR Director: Jessica Hartley
Production House: Small Fry Productions
Editors: Priyank Premkumar, Dev Nayak and Keven Menezes
Music Director: Dhruv Ghanekar
Vocal Percussion: Taufiq Qureshi
Sound Engineer: Joseph George
Original Soundscapes: Various Indigenous Artists