R/GA, Marketing Agency
Mark the Time A visual signal for change
One in three Americans have a criminal record and regardless of the crime or time spent in prison, 70 million people have this stain on their record for life, making it almost impossible to get employment. This ultimately affects their ability to get housing, education and build credit when job applicants with a criminal record are half as likely to get a callback, significantly hindering their chances to successfully reenter society.
Clean Slate is an organization aiming to push legislation that would seal conviction records, so that millions can rebuild their lives and get a fresh start (not to mention it would also save the country over $87 Billion).
With an upcoming vote by the government, Clean Slate increased positive public support around the issue with a powerful mural by the formerly incarcerated Zaki Smith to illustrate the lifetime of injustice and imbalance he has faced after he was released.
Campaign Creation
Activation
Brand Positioning
Media Planning & Buying
10M
Impressions during the first week
2000%
Increase in social mentions
5 states
Approved of the Clean Slate Act following the campaign
A conviction record shouldn’t be a life sentence. This was the simple, provocative insight that unlocked the creative - Mark the Time, a powerful mural, hand-painted by formerly incarcerated Zaki Smith, who reappropriated tally marks (typically used to mark one’s time in prison) to illustrate the lifetime of injustice and imbalance he has faced due to his conviction record after he was released. Additionally, the mural featured a QR code leading people to a short film about Zaki’s life and ways to take action to support the Clean Slate initiative.
The objective of Mark the Time was to raise positive public support for sealing criminal records in the days leading up to a government vote on the issue, because while conviction records affect a third of the US population, it's a divisive topic, to say the least. Some believe the formerly incarcerated deserve a second chance, others think they had their chance and ruined it. Clean Slate needed everyone to see the formerly incarcerated as members of our society, not a separate population. To generate empathy, to illustrate the struggles they face due to their convictions. Clean Slate sought to accomplish this by recontextualizing tally marks, often used by prisoners to represent days in prison. But instead, they were used to visualize the injustice and imbalance incarcerated people face after they’re released, making for a powerful statement for all to see.
Mark the Time was a poignant wake-up call about the reality facing millions of Americans with a criminal record - how they’re denied access to housing, education, and, most importantly, employment. The week before state legislators were slated to vote on sealing criminal records, Clean Slate released the campaign with OOH, online films, and social content, shocking the country with the collateral consequences of having a criminal record.. This thought-provoking artwork led on-lookers to a short film about Zaki Smith, where they could learn more about his life and struggles, share social content, and take action to support Clean Slate legislation.