BYkids, a not-for-profit organisation based in New York, has brilliantly harnessed the power of cinema to illuminate global inequality and injustice. Acting as mentors, they enable teenagers to convey their personal narratives through film. Their vision is not just to entertain, but to instigate a transformation in societal perceptions. This transformative process begins with understanding, fostered through the empathetic lens of these young filmmakers. Their storytelling is not merely a creative pursuit but an exercise in developing global citizenship.

The synergy between the eminent public service broadcaster, THIRTEEN, and BYkids has given rise to the 'Films BYkids' initiative. Pairing accomplished filmmakers with adolescents from around the globe, they have birthed a series of personal short documentaries. These documentaries don't just narrate stories; they're designed to stir empathy, provoke thought, and inspire global awareness. Season 3 of this insightful four-part documentary series first greeted audiences on American Public Television (APT) in April 2021. We partnered with BYkids to promote their third documentary series and the marketing firm Curry, Curry & Co. to leverage the momentum created. Our mutual objective was to breathe life into their documentaries, moulding them into bite-sized promotional clips, backed by a compelling social media campaign. This endeavour aimed to bolster anticipation for the premiere and cast a spotlight on the BYkids brand.

The Partnership

Despite the project's success, we encountered a few hurdles. The responsibility of the social media campaign was bestowed upon the NGO, which didn't completely adhere to our proposed editorial direction. This divergence impeded the full potential of our proposed social media strategy from being realised. Nevertheless, we took this challenge in our stride, refining BYkids' visual identity and updating its brand guidelines. Our team even managed to secure approval for certain enhancements to their website’s information architecture, streamlining their online presence. Even within the constraints, we take immense pride in the notable improvements achieved and the continued support extended to the communication team at BYkids — click here to see what we have accomplished inside the Brand Management subscription. This venture has set the stage for a slew of award-winning documentaries and more are currently in the pipeline.