Agencies: dentsumcgarrybowen Italy, The Big Now | Market: Italy
Client: Amnesty International

Hate crimes motivated by racial or religious differences have been on the rise for years in Italy, as in the rest of the world. Amnesty International is dedicated to fighting hate crime but needs fresh ways to bring its message to a desensitised society. We created a powerful short film for Amnesty International, to highlight the systematisation of racial violence by digital media.

We wanted to provide pro bono assistance to Amnesty International in Italy on this vital issue. The initial creative insight was simple: how long will it be until racial violence is systematised by the technology of social media?

On 21 March 2020, for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, we launched B 52, a fictional short film. In the seven-minute cautionary tale, youths commit racist, xenophobic, hate crimes as part of a high-tech game. The film’s ambiguous ending implies that anyone in this over-connected, desensitised world, even the predators, might become prey.

“It clearly tells that hatred may turn back on those who spread it,” said Amnesty International’s Riccardo Noury. “It reminds us how easily the line between hate speech and hate crime can be crossed.”

B∙52 was promoted on Amnesty International’s Italian website and social feeds and screened on various digital platforms and TV channels in Italy. It has driven social media discussion of racial violence issues among a new audience.