America is much more than just apple pie, baseball and a controversial electorate! What inspires America’s “greatness” is its people, and talking about what it means to be American had inspired media brand Fusion to create its “As American As” campaign. In collaboration with its creative agency SS+K, Fusion’s campaign shows through its short videos and photographs of Americans of all colors, backgrounds and cultures, that America is amazingly diverse as it paints a beautiful picture of reality untainted by politics or belief systems.

Stephen Leps, Vice President Executive Creative director of Fusion states, “This campaign celebrates the diverse and inclusive America we live and breathe every day and how we are all a product of many different cultural influences… We want a new generation, the rising mainstream, to put their fingerprints on this quintessential expression of Americana because we are no longer simply as American as apple pie.”

The campaign started off as just an attempt to showcase America’s amazing diversity. However, Fusion and SS+K were unprepared for the outright rejection they faced in some of the country’s most cosmopolitan areas. They were quick to respond with a new billboard in Manhattan, where they crossed the censored images out with the line “X marks the spot of censorship.”

Award Winning filmmaker and photographer Gillian Laub’s apparent “controversial” images featured a cheerleader in a hijab, two men kissing, a Hispanic serving in the military, an older woman using medical marijuana and a woman dancing in the West Indian Day Parade.

Fusion says that the images are purposefully provocative and carries a subtitle that says “Calling All Voices”, implying that every American has a say in this proud country. A recent college campus tour saw the culmination of the campaign that is all set to include out-of-home placements on billboards in Stamford and Philadelphia apart from wild posting in other cities.

Credits:
Brand: Fusion
Advertising Agency: Ss+K, New York, USA
Partner: Bobby Hershfield, Rob Shepardson
Chief Creative Officer: Bobby Hershfield
Creative Director: Armando Flores
Art Director: Malika Reid
Copywriter: Margaret Webber
Design Director: Jesse Raker
Lead Designer: Chris Peck
Director Of Production:John Swartz
Innovation: John Swartz
Executive Producer: Jamie Appelbaum, Liz Mistriel
Photography: Jamie Appelbaum
Video:Liz Mistriel
Founder: Rob Shepardson
Account Lead:Rob Shepardson
Account Supervisor:Gisell Galan
Account Coordinator:Jason Fishkin
Strategy:Claudia Cukrov
Production Company:Freebird Production
Director: Gillian Laub, Verbatim
Photographer: Gillian Laub, Verbatim
Director Of Photography:Rick Gershon, Verbatim
Photography Assistant: Yoav Friedlander
Producer: Tali Magal, Katya Pavlova
Assistant Producer:Jessie Jobst
Casting: JV8, Inc, Planet Pre Pro
Video Edit: The Mill
Post Production Company: The Mill
Editor: Ryan Mckenna
Colorist: Damien Van Der Cryussen
Event Production: Chris Wayne, Associates
Owner: Chris Wayne
Chief of Staff: Tim Biba
Account Manager: Marc Gross
Technical Director: Danny Huebsch