Docile and exotic. Nerdy and undesirable. These are just a few of the stereotypes imposed upon AAPI people, especially when it comes to the dating world. WORTHI Agency partnered with Bumble to create – SEE ME AS I AM – a digital campaign that aimed to break down dated and harmful stereotypes by amplifying AAPI community members' voices and sharing how they wish to be seen.
The goal of this campaign centered around debunking stereotypes that AAPI community members have heard. We wanted to foster empowering connections between Asian content creators who are fierce representations of their communities and allow them to tell their stories in their own way - to show up exactly as they are.
From in front of the camera to behind the camera, an all-AAPI cast and crew led the narrative videos associated with the campaign. The "See Me As I Am" narrative video showcased AAPI talent of diverse identities and sexual orientations in addition to an AAPI couple who initially connected with one another on the Bumble app. We also produced artful stills of the cast with words of affirmation about how they wish to be seen, in addition to a "behind the scenes" video, where the crew spoke to the importance of an all-AAPI set.
While casting for the campaign, we made strategic efforts to ensure representation of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as a diverse range of skin tones and personal identities, recognizing the vast spectrum of Asian identities. We began with pre-interview questions to ensure that each story felt true to the talent but also reflective of stories that community members faced. It was also important to ensure that each creator had 100% autonomy from wardrobe and hair/makeup to which parts of their personal narratives they were willing to share.
The release of the narrative video garnered over 2.5 million views on Bumble’s TikTok page with 15.9k likes, 100+ reposts and 250+ comments. On Instagram, the video received over 30k plays and was reshared on the content creators respective pages. Each creator shared their personalized narrative stories and stills throughout the month of May, with Bumble closing out AAPI month with the release of the Bumble couple’s video.
