UNITE

A Case Study on the 2020 #VoteUnited Campaign by all humans™ (a sub-brand of HUMAN™)

Overview

In the final weeks of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, all humans™—a sub-brand of HUMAN™—launched UNITE, a stripped-down campaign film built to meet a generation at eye level. Amid political fatigue and progressive disillusionment, UNITE offered something different: real voices from real people who were devastated by the Democratic primary, deeply skeptical of institutional politics, but fully aware of the stakes of another Trump presidency.

Designed to speak directly to Millennials—the largest and most diverse voting bloc in history—the film honored political heartbreak while calling for collective action. Rather than appeal to idealism, UNITE validated anger, grief, and reluctant resolve, reframing voting not as endorsement, but as protection.

Challenge

With many young voters frustrated by the sidelining of progressive candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the campaign faced a core tension: how to rally this generation without ignoring their disappointment. Traditional GOTV messaging risked alienating these voters by bypassing the emotional aftermath of the primary. The challenge was to meet them with honesty—and still invite them to unite around a shared goal.

Objectives

• Honor Disillusionment: Make space for complex emotions around the 2020 Democratic primary.
• Mobilize the Millennial Vote: Activate the largest generation in history through authenticity and clarity, not pressure.
• Reframe Voting as Protection: Emphasize the lives, issues, and communities at stake under another Trump term.
• Create Shareable, Organic Content: Make a campaign designed to be passed from peer to peer, not from institution to audience.

Creative Strategy

Led by all humans™, the campaign prioritized minimalism and emotional authenticity over polish or production.

• Real Voices: The film featured unscripted interviews with Millennial voters expressing raw, conflicting emotions.
• Stripped-Back Aesthetic: No score, no graphics—just faces and voices. This simplicity added weight to every pause and word.
• Stakes-First Storytelling: The film culminated in a unifying message: even if you feel let down, there is still something worth protecting.
• Collective Identity Framing: By referencing Millennials as the largest generation in human history, the campaign positioned unity as power.

Campaign Elements

1. Anchor Film

• Released digitally under the campaign title UNITE, using the hashtag #VoteUnited.
• Highlighted real voters navigating political burnout, COVID-era hardships, and personal reasons for reluctantly—but decisively—voting for Biden and Harris.

2. Social Media Rollout

• Distributed organically across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook via HUMAN’s network, individual creators, and aligned organizations.
• Accompanied by short video cutdowns, quote cards, and story-formatted assets to increase reach.

3. Grassroots Circulation

• Shared in progressive text banks, digital organizing hubs, and small-group Zoom events, particularly among younger voter outreach efforts.

Impact

Peer-Driven Engagement

• The campaign achieved meaningful organic reach, driven by word-of-mouth, community networks, and social sharing.

Emotional Alignment

• Viewers described the piece as “the only thing that actually reflected how I feel about this election.”
• Helped bridge the emotional gap between political disenchantment and civic action.

Authenticity Over Amplification

• Without relying on traditional media or influencer endorsements, the campaign demonstrated that honesty and rawness could still move hearts—and mobilize votes.

Outcome

UNITE stood as a quiet but potent reflection of the 2020 political moment. Created without press coverage or paid media, it lived in group chats, feeds, and forums—where trust is built peer-to-peer. By validating complex emotions and still calling for action, it modeled a new kind of political storytelling: one built not on hype, but on truth.