msnbc was a cable network known for political news, but lacked a point-of-view as a brand as they aimed for more ratings and relevancy. As socio-political tension and a do-nothing Congress kept progress at a standstill, we created "Lean Forward" to help the network find its voice and define its mission: to advance the issues that move our country ahead.
Instead of printing the Lean Forward manifesto in a book, we projected it everywhere - on buildings, water towers, trains, bridges and construction sites in major cities including NYC, Seattle, Denver, Washington DC, Chicago, and Atlanta (on CNN’s headquarters, in fact). The following video captures the highlights of the project.
To bring msnbc's progressive perspectives to life, we created over 30 pieces of topical content in collaboration with director and political contributor Spike Lee. Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Matthews and Ed Schultz offered their unscripted views on the issues of the day. But it was the inimitable Reverend Al Sharpton's seemingly innocent childhood story about blueberry pie that ultimately fired a political harpoon to the GOP and captured the attention of news junkies, the DC Beltway, and pop culture alike.
"Blueberry Pie" even inspired a sketch on Saturday Night Live and an oil on canvas.
Perhaps the most proud and humbling has been the cultural adoption of Lean Forward beyond a network tagline and into a worldview on progress.