Category Archives: Pro-social

Carissa – onward to the Oscars?

“Carissa” was one of four short films selected out of 116 for the International Documentary Association’s DOCUWEEK .

Carissa is a moving and informative film by David Sauvage about child prostitution and homelessness that we were able to help get made. It will have theatrical distribution at the Arclight Cinema during the last week of August and will therefore qualify for Academy Award consideration. Historically, a very real percentage of DOCUWEEK films get nominated.

Here are its recognitions to date:

Carissa officially premiered at the beautiful and aptly named Premiere Theater on the Lucas Arts Campus in San Francisco on March 18.

Here is a list of its awards / film festival selections since then. This list does not include the festivals named above.

Winner, Jury Prize, Best Documentary Short, Newport Beach Film Festival
Winner, Jury Prize, Best Short Film, New York City PictureStart Festival
Winner, Jury Prize, Best Documentary Short, Connecticut Film Festival
Winner, Audience Award, Documentary, Fresno Film Festival
Official Selection, Bermuda International Film Festival
Official Selection, Trenton Film Festival
Official Selection, San Francisco Frozen Film Festival
Official Selection, Landlocked Film Festival
Official Selection, Iowa Documentary Film Festival

Its two most impressive appearances in the press have been:

Good Morning America
USA Today
Carissa also appeared on CNN Newsroom a few weeks ago, discussing the nationwide crackdown on child sexual exploitation by the FBI.

Posted on July 22, 2008 in clients, Pro-social, success
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Green Clutter or Social Awareness

Most US consumers think of themselves as environmentally friendly, according to an Environmental Leader article citing BBMG’s “Conscious Consumer Report.”

In addition to being eco-friendly, nearly nine in 10 US respondents self-identified themselves either as “conscious consumers” or “socially responsible.”

That contrasts with respondents who self-identified themselves as “green.” About two-thirds of respondents in the BBMG study said that the term described them “well,” and 18% said it described them “very well.”

“In a world of green clutter, conscious consumers expect companies to do more than make eco-friendly claims,” said Raphael Bemporad, partner at BBMG. “They demand transparency and accountability across every level of business practice.”

Thanks to emarketer who sent us this information. And to Greenpeace for the image.

Posted on December 5, 2007 in positioning, Pro-social, research
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Win-win for a brand and a cause

A powerful and productive partnership was created when our sister nonprofit The Cyrano Project introduced Carissa Phelps and filmmaker David Sauvage to Virgin Mobile.

The no-contract wireless provider screened a special preview of a moving new film about Carissa’s harrowing young life on the streets and in the motels of Fresno. Directed and produced by Sauvage and executive produced by Davis Guggenheim (Oscar winner for “An Inconvenient Truth”) –it was shown at the Virgin Mobile RE*Generation Art Gallery Auction and Benefit in New York in November.

The downtown art crowd was there, young and beautiful and buying art for the cause of
Youth Homelessness. The nonprofits who work on the streets with homeless kids were there – there are about a million teens and children on the streets of the US today. And VM staffers were there – telling anyone who’d listen that they are so proud to work for a company that does this.

To learn more about the artists whose work was on sale you simply had to dial a number on one of the fantastically decorated VM phones that were on display.

It was terrific branding for VM, whose prime customer is young and who empathizes with the plight of these homeless kids.

The event raised money and awareness for the cause, it was great entertainment and made complete sense as a brilliant branded promotion.

I should add that VM has sponsored Congressional legislation making November,Youth Homelessness Awareness Month and Carissa – a phenomenal woman who is no longer on the streets and has just earned a law degree and an MBA – is their national spokesperson. So this thing has legs.

There must be a perfect cause for your business. Let us help you find it.

Posted on December 5, 2007 in Pro-social
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