Cricket Wireless Brings the Win in Spot Directed by Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah

Bicoastal production studio Greenpoint Pictures has produced a new Cricket Wireless campaign in support of HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), directed by recent roster signing Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah. The wireless network provider has been a strong advocate for HBCUs for several years. 

With her signature artistry, Dawson-Amoah uses mesmerizing choreography and visual metaphor to interpret the sense of heroism that comes with higher education within the Black community. Centered on the beauty and power of Black scholars, she incorporates all that she is most passionate about - dance, movement, culture, and Blackness - and creates a film that is a perfect balance between branded content and thoughtful messaging. 

The concept for the films instantly reminded Ewurakua of her own experience as a Black girl from a predominantly white town. Often the only person of colour in any given room, she held a tremendous sense of otherness in every space she entered. This all changed the first time she attended a tailgate party before a game between Morgan State and Howard University, both HBCUs. Walking into the stadium and looking around at a sea of familiar faces, Dawson-Amoah felt an immediate sense of release and collective understanding. This joy was something she wanted to hold on to and she managed to encapsulate all of those emotions in this campaign. 

Historically underfunded, HBCUs have played a critical role in ensuring that African Americans receive a quality education. Cricket Wireless continues to foster support and build awareness for the 100+ such schools around the United States. “Graduating from a college or university is huge for young Black Americans, considering that not too long ago our skin color prevented us from doing so in this country,” says Dawson-Amoah. “I wanted to celebrate the young Black excellence and the pride that comes from attending these schools. Telling stories like this is what drives me the most as a director.”

Dawson-Amoah’s work has been recognised by international film festivals and her short film To the Girl That Looks Like Me was a 2020 Student Academy Awards finalist. Additionally, the film was selected for the Scene in Color Film Series, a joint partnership between Target and NBCUniversal that introduces viewers to three emerging BIPOC filmmakers and their short films. 

Beyond her work as a director, Dawson-Amoah also runs The Melacast Network - a virtual platform focused on connecting BIPOC actors, directors, and crew with the opportunities, talent, and resources needed to tell culturally rich and diverse stories through film.