StoryCorps recently launched One Small Step America, an effort to begin the national expansion of its One Small Step (OSS) initiative. The kick-off includes a national PSA campaign with digital, print, broadcast, and outdoor advertising in markets across the country. Having focused OSS locally in three local Model Communities, it’s now possible for anyone, anywhere in the country, to quickly and easily participate in an OSS conversation.
The PSA campaign, by creative agency I.D/W, features the work of famed illustrator Noma Bar and leads with the tagline “let’s talk…for a change.”
We sat down with Leigh Okies, Creative Director and Principal at I/D.W, to discuss the creative development for this campaign. “StoryCorps approached us to design the campaign after deciding that it was a good time to begin scaling the OSS effort, given the contentious election year and the momentum achieved in the Model Communities — among other factors,” Leigh said.
“For this campaign, we knew we needed to create imagery and a message that would resonate beyond political ads. ‘Let’s talk…for a change’ is inviting and sends a message of hope. It also underscores the fact that the vast majority of Americans are exhausted by toxic polarization and looking for a way out. Now more than ever, we need to work together to mend the divisions in our country.”
The campaign, which will roll out into markets nationwide this summer, directs people to TakeOneSmallStep.org, where they can see conversations across the political divide modeled by OSS participants, sign up to record their own One Small Step conversation, or simply find more information about the initiative.
She added, “We used the image of red and blue arms coming together, with the hands clasped around a talk bubble because — for the billboards in particular — we have only about three seconds to convey that this effort is about bringing people with opposing political views together in conversation.”