Meta, Barrett Hofherr and Only Today Create PSA to fight Asian American Hate

Creative ad agency Barrett Hofherr and production company Only Today (Portland) have teamed to produce a PSA for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIHM), which brings awareness to and aims to fight Asian American hate. Attacks on Asian Americans increased drastically during the pandemic. The spot debuts in May, which is APIHM.

Director Brian G. Cheung, who was Barrett’s second hire, approached founder/ECD Jamie Barrett to help concept and create the PSA. Once it was finished, the work was pitched to partners including Meta and Meta Prosper, a new social community and initiative dedicated to empowering and amplifying Asian and Pacific Islander business owners and professionals on Twitter and Facebook.

The spot tells a powerful story of Asian Americans from all walks of life through photos. Some archival images were included to remind people that Asians have a long, storied history in the U.S. In the PSA, we first see an older couple, then a younger one, followed by images of a father and son and a nuclear family. “Do you know what they all have in common?” the narrator asks. “They’re American,” she says.

“During the pandemic, hateful terms like ‘The China Virus’ became more prevalent, and Asian hate crimes rose drastically in the U.S.,” said Cheung, who is currently a freelance director at Only Today. “So, this message is more important than ever.”
Meta Prosper posted the PSA across its social channels and asked dozens of organizations within the community to do the same. These included Asians in Advertising, Dear Asian Americans, The Asian American Foundation, Stand with Asian Americans, Asian Leaders Alliance, Goldhouse, Asian Hustle Network, Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, Welcome to Chinatown, and Meta Prosper. Barrett Hofherr and Only Today donated time and resources to bring the project to life.