Behind The Work

The initial inclination was lean into these achievements directly, but my partner and I saw an opportunity to take a bolder approach. Instead of focusing solely on successes, we highlighted AAPI failure stories—the setbacks before the success that made them famous. We knew this could be a risky strategy. Afterall what brand or spokesperson wants to associate themselves with the negativity failure? We knew we had to walk a narrow line to demonstrate how a campaign based on failure could be an opportunity for positive, uplifting storytelling.

 Our insight was simple but powerful: failure doesn’t diminish success; it amplifies it. This strategy allowed us to break away from the expected and challenge the “model minority” stereotype that often erases the complexity of AAPI experiences. We developed the campaign “The Hall of Failure” to amplify real stories: an entrepreneur’s series of failed startups before launching a billion-dollar company, or an actor’s countless rejections before landing a groundbreaking role.

 Through each piece, we crafted narrative arc that cumulated in a ‘failure insurance’ grant to encourage AAPI Gen-Z to learn from these role models and take a risk on failure.  This work (which won us a spot on the US Cannes delegation) reminded me that the most powerful campaigns often challenge our initial assumptions and of course, there’s no reward without a little (or a lot) of risk.