Collective PSA effort from the advertising industry launched to support the Asian American community

This long-held feeling of exclusion has had its history of ebbing and flowing into the American conscious. Today, it has reentered the conversation on the heels of 15 months of rising violence and attacks on the Asian American community.

With Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in May and given the rise of anti-Asian hate and violence, Omnicom (a global leader in marketing communications that provides brand and advertising services to over 5000 clients in over 100 countries) took action. In early April, they launched the 3 in 5 Challenge to empower creatives to develop and submit completed PSAs that speak to underrepresentation, while supporting Asian storytelling. The initiative is inspired by the finding from Morning Consult that 3 in 5 Asian Americans say they are rarely, if ever, represented in advertising content.

Admerasia, a full-service multicultural advertising agency that connects brands with people through the prism of culture, is the winner of the 3 in 5 Challenge.

Watch Admerasia’s winning full-length :30 PSA below, while an edited :15 version may be viewed here.

“Invisible” encapsulates the Asian American experience of not being seen or heard through empty vignettes of everyday life. Entertainment, media, and brands’ long history of ignoring Asian American representation has left its mark on the community. But 19 million strong is a force not to be ignored. When brands stand indivisible in their pledge to represent the Asian American experience, then we can become visible.

Admerasia’s PSA will be featured in over $1 million worth of donated ad space. They will have their spot run throughout AAPIHM across 35+ national media partners, including The Washington Post, Verizon Media, Buzzfeed, Meredith, and many more. Nineteen PSAs were submitted, led by the work of 50+ individuals; a total of 16 agencies participated. These agencies include those inside and outside of Omnicom’s umbrella.

Some quotes from those involved in the Challenge below:

Jeff Lin, Co-founder, Admerasia:
Often an agency’s role is to be the creative voice on behalf of someone else. We were eager to share a perspective that we do not often have the opportunity to – a personal story. Admerasia is a 100% Asian American-owned company with employees from all over the globe. Otherness and a feeling of invisibility is something we’ve all experienced. With the privilege of being a successful agency, we felt that it is not just our responsibility but also our honor to partner on an initiative that encapsulates the 25 years of work we’ve pursued.  

Soon Mee Kim, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Omnicom Public Relations Group and 3 in 5 Challenge Advisor:

The 3 in 5 Challenge began as an earnest response to the question: What else can we do with our unique talents and skill sets within the marketing services industry to address Asian hate, to see our common humanity? I’m so grateful to everyone who participated in the 3 in 5 Challenge, who set aside boundaries, to come together to make a difference. My hope is that 3 in 5 is one example of the force-multiplying effect we can have when committed individuals and organizations join together to drive change.

The Challenge comes with a call-to-action for the public at-large to take a pledge to stand against anti-Asian hate, to not be bystanders but be part of the solution and raise awareness and visibility for the community through Asian storytelling. People can take the pledge and learn more at threeinfive.com.

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