Fela's blackpowerbarbie Celebrates Interconnection of Local Artist Community in Destination Toronto Campaign

Artist, filmmaker, and animator blackpowerbarbie recently directed and stars in a vibrant new ad campaign, 'You Gotta See What We See', for Destination Toronto via production company Fela and advertising agency Bensimon Byrne. In a love letter to her hometown, blackpowerbarbie provides an inside look at Toronto’s thriving art scene through the personal lens of her friends, community, and local hangs. 

“The art scene in Toronto has played an important role in shaping the artist that I am today and it was important for me to share how I feel about my hometown and the many diverse perspectives it represents,” said blackpowerbarbie. “Working with Destination Toronto was a great experience, they gave me the creative latitude to make this commercial a very authentic representation of why Toronto is such a special place.”

She invited local Toronto artists Lauren Pirie and Smolik to be featured alongside her in the spot, with both providing their perspectives on the unique cultural relevance of the Toronto art scene. The live action commercial features animated flourishes, with each artist’s work featured alongside the segments they’re featured in; blackpowerbarbie’s candy-colored characters and vision, Smolik’s graffiti-inspired street art, and Pirie’s surreal painterly canvases. 

The campaign delivers an authentic window into the lively Toronto downtown scene, from the coffee shops to the galleries, studios, block parties, and backyard dinners of this group of friends.