Overview

In 2016, the world faced an unprecedented refugee crisis—over 65 million people displaced from their homes, half of them children. Yet despite the scale and urgency, public empathy remained elusive. HUMAN, in collaboration with Alicia Keys and the We Are Here Movement, created LET ME IN: a cinematic short film that flipped the narrative. What if the refugee crisis happened here—on American soil? By reframing the issue and leveraging the global reach of Alicia Keys, LET ME IN offered a radical, emotional invitation to empathize.

Challenge

The refugee crisis had become politically polarizing, with media fatigue and compassion fatigue dulling public response. Advocacy campaigns often relied on statistics or distant imagery, failing to forge emotional connections that could drive real action.

Objectives

• Humanize the Crisis: Make the global refugee issue feel personal and urgent to American audiences.
• Drive Awareness & Action: Tie the film to World Refugee Day and connect viewers to concrete ways they could help.
• Activate Celebrity Reach: Utilize Alicia Keys' platform to break through media noise and reach a mainstream audience.
• Spark Media Attention: Create a newsworthy and culturally relevant moment that would earn media coverage and virality.

Creative Strategy

HUMAN used its Narrative Design™ methodology to reimagine advocacy through immersive storytelling.

• Narrative Inversion: The film depicted an alternate reality where Americans are refugees, reframing global empathy through domestic storytelling.
• Emotional Immersion: Combining Hollywood-level cinematography with a real-world crisis gave the film both urgency and relatability.
• Multi-Sensory Impact: Anchored by Alicia Keys’ original song “Hallelujah”, the campaign engaged both visual and musical storytelling for greater emotional impact.
• Integrated Platform Strategy: Released across platforms like TIDAL, Facebook, YouTube, and the We Are Here microsite to maximize reach.

Campaign Elements

1. Short Film Premiere:

• LET ME IN launched on TIDAL on World Refugee Day alongside Alicia Keys’ song “Hallelujah”.
• Directed by Jonathan Olinger, starring Alicia Keys, introducing Naliyah Vega and Ricardo Martin.

2. Media Launch & Press

• Featured in Rolling Stone, BuzzFeed, NowThis, TIDAL, and Refinery29, among others.
• Rolling Stone called it a “moving tribute to the global refugee crisis.”

3. Call-to-Action Platform:

• The We Are Here website directed audiences to vetted refugee-focused NGOs.
• Users were encouraged to share the film, donate, and take political action.

4. Social Media Integration:

• Viral Facebook video campaign with short cuts and behind-the-scenes interviews.
• Alicia Keys and influencers across the arts and activism spheres amplified the campaign.

5. Educational & Community Toolkits:

• The film was integrated into advocacy events, classrooms, and community screenings.

Impact

Massive Media Reach:

• Over 20 million views across platforms in the first two weeks.
• International coverage and social shares extended the message to global audiences.

Celebrity-Driven Momentum:

• Alicia Keys’ advocacy extended the conversation into spaces traditionally disconnected from global policy or humanitarian issues.

Emotional Resonance:

• Audiences reported profound emotional reactions, with many calling it the first time they “understood what it feels like to be a refugee.”

Tangible Action:

• Thousands of donations were made through the We Are Here platform.
• The campaign created significant uplift in engagement for partner refugee NGOs.

Outcome

LET ME IN redefined how advocacy films can reach the public. By harnessing the power of emotional storytelling, celebrity activism, and digital-first distribution, HUMAN and its partners created not only a viral film but a paradigm shift in empathy. The project became a case study in how to build movement energy around a humanitarian crisis—without ever mentioning the word “refugee” until the very end.

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