SBS has revealed its new campaign ‘#FU2RACISM’ ahead of Face Up To Racism week, which runs from February 26 to March 5.
The campaign, created in-house by SBS’ creative team, is designed to promote a week focused around programs on race and prejudice, with the focus being on SBS’ documentary ‘Is Australia Racist?’, presented by Ray Martin.
The campaign was inspired by the research results from one of the largest-ever surveys conducted on racism and prejudice in Australia, commissioned by SBS with Western Sydney University, which found one in five Australians experienced racism over the past 12 months.
The campaign will run on SBS television and across the five major metropolitan cities at train stations, bus stops, shopping centres and digital billboards.
“Through ‘Face Up to Racism’ week, SBS is provoking an important national discussion about racism and prejudice in Australia today, at a time when debate about difference continues to make headlines around the world,” said Amanda McGregor, director of marketing at SBS
SBS is encouraging users to use the hashtag #FU2racism to share stories about their experiences.
This is a great campaign, and I hope it’s successful in getting people to examine their own biases. Via Mumbrella.
I heartily support this campaign!
On the other hand, for some reason Tom Lehrer is in my head:
It’s only for a week, so have no fear.
Be grateful that it doesn’t last all year.
I know, it will pass out of most peoples’ heads, but here’s hoping it sticks to a bunch, planting little seeds everywhere.
Of course you’re right; it will plant little seeds. And then another campaign will come along from someone else, and another, and so forth.
There’s a meme going around reminding everyone that a chorus can hold a note as long as needed even though individuals need to breathe. So long as we take turns breathing, the song continues. I like that thought.
I’m not quite as cynical as I make myself sound.
I’m looking forward to watching this series -- looks very promising and thought-provoking. I expect SBS will also make it available online after screening via their SBS on Demand website ( http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/ ) although I’m not sure if this can be accessed outside Australia or not. Those with better computer-fu than me (i.e. probably almost all of you here) can probably find a way to see it via that site even if that is the case though.
The test of the success of FU2Racism will be if the program includes predjuces against people with albinism (PWA). It is one thing to be a bigot, another thing to experience ridicule and another thing to be eaten by another human being. The bigotry was so strong that even the Davinci Code couldn’t be changed.