THE LATINX DIASPORA IN NYC: A MURAL IN WASHINGTON HEIGHTS INSPIRED BY THE HBO FILM SIEMPRE, LUIS

Finalist in PHYSICAL & DIGITAL

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to create a culturally impactful campaign celebrating the rich history, culture and politics of the Latinx community, particularly in NYC to mark the release of HBO’s Siempre, Luis. Luis Miranda’s life and journey has been shaped by his unwavering commitment to uplift and empower the Latinx community. Our objective to celebrate the release of HBO’s documentary Siempre, Luis was to hold a mirror to Mr. Miranda’s life and use it to highlight key issues and milestones not only significant to him but also to the Latinx community as a whole.

STRATEGY

HBO partnered with Virtue, the creative agency born from VICE, to commission a mural in Washington Heights, NY that told the story of the Latinx diaspora in New York City from the late 1800s until now. Inspired by Siempre, Luis, local Latinx artists Carlos J. Martinez, Dister, Danny Peguero and Carla Torres brought the vision to life.

The mural was divided into milestones and transitional scenes. The milestones depicted more complex murals that reference specific time periods in the history of the Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American and Mexican diasporas in NYC. Each contextualized by audio from historian Johanna Fernández, PhD. While the transitions featured quotes from Siempre, Luis serving as a bridge between each time period. Together, it brought to life the narrative of a community of diverse people that have become the driving force in this country, against all odds.

The continuous, double sided, mural stretched over 40ft long – double sided, 9 feet tall 2 feet lived at the beloved Plaza of the Americas in Washington Heights for two weeks.

RESULTS

The mural was originally intended to be up for only a week, based on the community’s overwhelmingly positive reaction to the project; we extended it’s duration for an additional week. Press coverage from ET, AdAge, The Muse, and others brought national attention to the initiative, it’s subject and its purpose.

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