Inside Creative Inclusion: The Call
Hello all and welcome to the second edition of Inside Creative Inclusion.
Each month I share a piece of incredible work that has focussed on Creative Inclusion, or bought diversity into the work, in an exciting way - with hopefully a little insider knowledge too.
For this issue there are two campaigns I want to give a shout out to, because both deserve the spotlight.
The first is “Ridiculous Excuses not to be Inclusive” for CoorDown by the agency ‘Small’, for World Down Syndrome Day on March 21st.
The campaign highlights some of the ridiculous things people have said to people with Down’s Syndrome. It’s a very funny, completely shocking and a beautifully stylised take on situations that are quite frankly abhorrent.
The most interesting thing for me however was the campaign’s TikTok first approach. Bouncing almost perfectly off the end of the “dumb ways to die” trend, the creative just felt perfectly at home on the platform and then was backed up by creators with Down’s Syndrome making their own examples.
It’s a great example of how serious content doesn’t always have to be serious to connect emotionally.
The next campaign, in almost direct contrast, that I want to deep dive into this month is “The Call” from the charity Switchboard to launch its new free helpline created by Rankin Creative and Jordan Rossi.
TW: mental health, homelessness, family issues
KEY TAKEAWAY:
Long form content isn’t going anywhere.
Over 11 minutes we are taken on the journey with a young man who has just come out to his family, has some very relatable struggles, and begins to accept himself/his sexuality. The entire film evolves through three short phone calls to the Switchboard helpline, giving a true sense of the service they offer.
The interesting challenge with services like this is simply giving people the confidence to call. It’s a huge unknown in a time often filled with great emotional unrest – filled with questions like will the person judge me? Is it safe? Will they tell my family? What if I’m wasting their time?
The true glory of The Call is not just it’s beautiful visuals, or the stunning performance of Adam Ali, but the space it gives for reality. The long form nature gives the viewer a step by step understanding of what they can expect upon calling, the areas where Switchboard can help, and a calm, supportive voice to gently give you the permission to call.
Not everything needs to be shocking, or hilarious, and this campaign proves that.
Some of the greatest moments once again spring from the realness of it all. I have personally needed helplines like this in the past and the way our protagonist hangs up without finishing the conversation is incredibly true to that reality.
What also stands out is the way the light shifts throughout the piece, guiding us into a new day metaphorically, the soundtrack giving us true queer house vibes, and how it references the more niche side of LGBTQIA+ identities to show everyone is welcome to call.
I think we can all agree it’s a gorgeous film, and the response has been amazing – with it even being shortlisted for Campaign Of The Year in The Bank of London Rainbow Honours awards. But in the end, it is the key result of how many people call the helpline that matters most. To quote Stephanie Fuller, Swtichboard CEO: “"In the week after we announced our new free 0800 phone number, Switchboard handled 610 conversations, which is more than triple the amount we had last year during the same week” – which is an absolutely incredible impact.
INSIDE THE IDEA:
“Our lives don't happen in 15-60 second snippets. They're much longer, more intricate and more complex than that.”
I managed to grab a chat with Jordan Rossi, writer and director of the film, who’s “work aims to catalyse meaningful conversations around queer culture and creativity” to ask how the film came to life and what it means to him.
Q> How did the original conversation with Switchboard go? What was their brief to you?
Jordan> The funny thing is, there wasn't really a brief per se. Rankin Creative had done some work with Switchboard back in 2019 that I had the pleasure of being a part of. I stayed in touch with the charity over the years. It was until late last year when they mentioned that 2023 would be their 49th birthday and they were switching to a free phone number.
A light bulb went off in my head. I knew it was an opportunity and a moment that should definitely be marked with so many more people being able to access the service if it's free.
I pitched the idea of doing something different and more emotive than any ad campaign - a narrative short drama. Stephanie Fuller, Chair of Switchboard, was super open and supportive of the idea.
Q> The film feels so true to life, how important was lived experience to the script?
Jordan> The film is based on an amalgamation of experiences of myself and my friends and colleagues within the community. Being part of the LGBTQ+ community meant that I already had a second hand knowledge of these experiences which made the scriptwriting process more accurate.
During the research phase, way before I wrote the script, I had a chance to speak with some of the incredible volunteers at Switchboard. It was an eye-opening set of conversations and I worked in some of their anecdotes, thoughts, feelings and lines of dialogue. These conversations really gave the film the intangible element that makes it special.
Q> What was the most important thing you wanted the viewer to feel when watching?
Jordan> I wanted the viewer to go on a journey. I wanted audiences to feel the same sense of frustration and confusion that Amir, the central character, finds themselves in at the start of the film. I knew elements of the script here would resonate for many in the community, but I also wanted wider audiences to understand and empathise with the situation.
Having a positive ending was really important for me. Too often LGBTQ+ narratives end in tragedy. And whilst I do believe it's important to highlight those stories, as they are in fact true to life at times, it was also crucial to have an uplifting ending. Showcasing that Queer people can live healthy, happy lives. And also to illustrate that you don't always have all the answers to questions in your life but you can live happily regardless.
Q> Obviously in the TikTok era long form is often overlooked, why was this your approach?
Jordan> Long form will never cease to have a place. At least in my eyes anyway. Our lives don't happen in 15-60 second snippets. They're much longer, more intricate and more complex than that. I think you can feel that within the script where we tried to add tension and complexity within each of the phone calls. For example, Amir's relationship with his parents isn't linear or simple. It's strained and complicated.
That doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about the messaging of the film and how this would translate to a social media savvy audience. Which is why whatever promotional materials or trailer we created needed to contain the messaging of the overall film.
In advance of the film release we dropped the movie posters and then the trailer. Having all these assets allowed Switchboard and the film to gain momentum. Hearts & Science kindly providing digital out of home spaces driving the reach of the film while GayTimes and various other publications pushed the trailer. In the first weekend the trailer, on socials, had a combined reach of over 100,000 people.
Q> The talent on show here is incredible, how important was casting?
Jordan> Casting was paramount and was the longest part of the process. My reputation is built on my casting. I always cast myself and if you've watched my music videos or commercials you'll see that I imbue each project with the same personality whilst keeping a diverse selection of individuals on screen. This was no different.
I always knew that casting the lead role was going to be a challenge but the process with Adam was seamless. I can't speak more highly of Adam's ability, passion and involvement throughout the project. Adam didn't want to sit idly by and be told what to do, they wanted to engage and be part of the creative process which, for me, is something I hugely respect.
Q> What are you most proud of when it comes to this piece?
Jordan> There are so many things that make me feel proud about THE CALL. Firstly, it was a monumental step in my career. I showcased my directorial skills in narrative. I've never written a script before or directed narrative, so to have the film be such a success was a huge honour.
Secondly, I'm just so appreciative of all the people who helped on the project from the early doors all the way through to the post-production. Big shout outs to Nimi Raja (Exec Producer), Charlie Knight (DOP) and Elliot Zelmanovits (Producer). In an era of inflation, rising cost of living and more divisiveness than ever I was so proud that we were able to pull a team together who gifted their time, energy, skillset and creativity for a charity.
Then finally, I'm just proud that I got to help. Even if one person watches this film and sees themselves represented or understands that there is hope and help out there, then I've done my job.
Massive thank you to Jordan for letting us have insight into this incredible campaign, and gigantic praise to the whole team who made it happen.
If you want to see more head to Switchboard’s website or social channels, and if you know someone who needs some support make sure to share the number.
All of Switchboard’s volunteers identify as LGBTQ+ and are available 365 days a year, from 10am-10pm via phone at 0800 0119 100 and text message at switchboard.lgbt.
Jamie June Hill (They/She)
Creative Inclusivity Director
