Freeform // BHM // The Roots of our Roots // Social Campaign

Freeform celebrates Black History Month with the cast of Grown-ish by honoring history.

Thinking

Freeform wanted to create a social media campaign to promote the second part of season 4 of Grown-ish. MAKINE pitched several concepts that culminated in the “Roots of our Roots” campaign. Our team worked closely with the Marketing, Creative and Brand Design team at Freeform to develop the stories and carefully design and animate to a selection of African rhythms.

Doing

“The Roots of our Roots” is a series of three short, mixed-media, fully animated videos that celebrate the Black hairstyles as worn by the cast of Grown-ish. Featuring three styles - Braids, Afro and Locs - the bespoke stories reveal the historical background behind each style and honor its true origins. The animation brings a narrative that flows effortlessly with images and illustrations inspired by Africa’s rich cultures. The stars of Grown-ish provided the narrations: Yara Shahidi for ‘Braids,’ Diggy Simmons for ‘Afro,’ and Luka Sabbat for ‘Locs.’ Freeform also enlisted the work of historians and academic consultants to ensure the accuracy of the information being presented. The result is a beautiful tapestry of style, culture and history that honors the rich history of Black people.