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CoorDown's Musical Leads Our Selection of Great Work From Europe
Plus: Surfboard delivery from CTT Portugal makes waves
March 21 marks World Down Syndrome Day. Ahead of it, Italian nonprofit CoorDown and agency Small released “No Decision Without Us.” This smart, energetic musical owes a debt to Lin Manuel-Miranda. The approach is reminiscent of the Hamilton song “The Room Where It Happens.” But unlike Aaron Burr, people with Down Syndrome and other differently-abled folks demand representation at home, in town halls and at work.
There’s a galvanizing energy to this ad, which features Caterina Scorsone of Grey’s Anatomy, who has a child with Down Syndrome. The work also embraces other groups, reminding us that the causes for freedom and equitable living are intersectional and linked. “No Decision Without Us” notably dropped after DEI programs were scrapped in the United States. Among the results of the latter were people complaining about certain cuts because they didn’t imagine that the diversity, equity and inclusion remit was so broad. Knowledge is power, I guess.
We’re pretty impressed by this sly work by CTT Portugal, which demonstrates its “commitment to deliver anywhere” by crashing the country’s Nazaré Big Wave Challenge, one of the world’s premier surfing competitions.
Losing a board is a nightmare for surfers; the bigger the wave, the worse the situation. “100-Foot Delivery” depicts Tony Laureano washing out. The water is utterly overpowering, and he loses his board. So here comes a CTT guy on a Jetski, complete with a cardboard box that brings mundane neighborhood deliveries to mind. He even goes, “Antonio Laureano?” like they’re standing on a porch and not in the lee of some huge white breakers. What spunk. Just a timeless approach to the brief. Hat-tip to Havas Lisbon.
Now that we’ve got our beach vibes on, we’re not leaving. French rail company SNCF Connect and Rosa Paris give us “The Dancer,” which follows 17-year-old Zac, a guy from a beach town who has a dream. Directed by Katia Kewkowicz, the poetic work tells its story through the contrast between Zac’s fluid movements and the landscape of his life; as well as the affecting lyrics of Luidiji’s “Monde.” But the subtext is evocative when you consider how young men suffer from loneliness and disenfranchisement, which increasingly sends them down paths of radicalization and violence.
It’s hard for a young man to choose to be a dancer—to invest so much sensitivity and vulnerability into his body. The work hinges on his desire to enter an audition in distant Paris, and he gives up because everyone is discouraging and cruel. It’s his father, ultimately, who has a change of heart and provides the train ticket that may change Zac’s life.
The brand builds on this, naturally. But the real life-changer is dad’s emotional about-face. Boys need men to teach them how to love themselves. It’s a big gift in a harsh world.
Angela Natividad is the European markets editor at Muse by Clios. She also writes about gaming and fashion, and whatever else she’s interested in, really. She’s based in Paris and North Italy, so if you’re local, say hi. She might eat all your food.
