Uploaded May 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
"Diving While Black" champions the safeguarding of Black drivers against police brutality. In a powerful initiative, it sheds light on the disproportionate challenges faced by Black individuals behind the wheel, urging for meaningful change and fostering crucial conversations.
When the creative minds at Goodby Silverstein & Partners brainstormed the concept of "Driving While Black," they initially toyed with the idea of physically constructing the campaign's special sedan. However, due to constraints in time and logistics, they ultimately abandoned this notion.
Instead, the influential initiative, developed in collaboration with Critical Mass and The Mill, introduces a vehicle that only exists within the realms of virtual reality.
Aligned with the mission of the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation and strategically launched during the 2023 Detroit Auto Show, this endeavor adeptly utilizes technology and the tradition of car debuts to demand societal change in response to the pervasive issue of police brutality targeting Black drivers during traffic stops.
While the campaign prominently features a virtual vehicle, it also underscores the stark reality of countless real cars driven by Black individuals every day—vehicles that symbolize a community disproportionately subjected to traffic stops, searches, and fatal encounters with law enforcement.
Steve Savic, Executive Creative Director at Critical Mass, articulates the campaign's objective: "Our aim is to offer people a glimpse into the experiences of driving while Black and catalyze conversations that drive meaningful change."
Despite its pointed and sobering nature, the campaign's effectiveness lies in its employment of irony and restraint. Craig Mitchell, the narrator of the project's video, strikes a delicate balance with his delivery, conveying gravity while maintaining a subdued tone that amplifies the message's impact. It remains a sobering reality that such initiatives are necessary in today's society.
AWARDS
Cannes Lions 2024
- Silver in Digital Craft
- Bronze in Film
D&AD 2024
- Silver in Entertainment
One Show 2024
- Bronze in Experiential & Immersive for Good
Clio Awards 2024
- Experience and Activation Grand Clio
- 1 Silver in Digital and Mobile
The ANDY Awards 2024
- Gold Craft
- Gold Idea
CREDITS
Advertiser: Courageous Conversation Global Foundation, Las Vegas.
Advertising Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco.
Advertising Agency: Critical Mass, Calgary.
Production Company: The Mill, Los Angeles.
"Diving While Black" champions the safeguarding of Black drivers against police brutality. In a powerful initiative, it sheds light on the disproportionate challenges faced by Black individuals behind the wheel, urging for meaningful change and fostering crucial conversations.
When the creative minds at Goodby Silverstein & Partners brainstormed the concept of "Driving While Black," they initially toyed with the idea of physically constructing the campaign's special sedan. However, due to constraints in time and logistics, they ultimately abandoned this notion.
Instead, the influential initiative, developed in collaboration with Critical Mass and The Mill, introduces a vehicle that only exists within the realms of virtual reality.
Aligned with the mission of the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation and strategically launched during the 2023 Detroit Auto Show, this endeavor adeptly utilizes technology and the tradition of car debuts to demand societal change in response to the pervasive issue of police brutality targeting Black drivers during traffic stops.
While the campaign prominently features a virtual vehicle, it also underscores the stark reality of countless real cars driven by Black individuals every day—vehicles that symbolize a community disproportionately subjected to traffic stops, searches, and fatal encounters with law enforcement.
Steve Savic, Executive Creative Director at Critical Mass, articulates the campaign's objective: "Our aim is to offer people a glimpse into the experiences of driving while Black and catalyze conversations that drive meaningful change."
Despite its pointed and sobering nature, the campaign's effectiveness lies in its employment of irony and restraint. Craig Mitchell, the narrator of the project's video, strikes a delicate balance with his delivery, conveying gravity while maintaining a subdued tone that amplifies the message's impact. It remains a sobering reality that such initiatives are necessary in today's society.
AWARDS
Cannes Lions 2024
- Silver in Digital Craft
- Bronze in Film
D&AD 2024
- Silver in Entertainment
One Show 2024
- Bronze in Experiential & Immersive for Good
Clio Awards 2024
- Experience and Activation Grand Clio
- 1 Silver in Digital and Mobile
The ANDY Awards 2024
- Gold Craft
- Gold Idea
CREDITS
Advertiser: Courageous Conversation Global Foundation, Las Vegas.
Advertising Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco.
Advertising Agency: Critical Mass, Calgary.
Production Company: The Mill, Los Angeles.
