Indian Boarding Homes Class Action
Industry: Indigenous Justice / Legal Awareness
The Challenge
How do you create national awareness for a class action settlement affecting Indigenous people across Canada… when you can’t show real people or faces? That was the brief. The Indian Boarding Homes Class Action Settlement needed to reach First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals—many of whom had never been told they were part of a government program that placed them into private homes, away from their families and community, to attend school.
The mandate was clear:
- Honor the truth.
- Speak to the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Indigenous Peoples of Canada.
- Ensure cultural accuracy, sensitivity, and representation.
- Use no real or life-like human faces. Nor, AI generated human faces.
- Keep them as authentic as possible, inside animation.
And do it in a series of four videos that would carry the message forward—each one timed, themed, and translated into four languages (English, French, Cree, and Dene).
The Unbridled Solution
We approached this with reverence. From concept to cut, every step involved Indigenous partners, voices, and validation. The result? A commercial series brought to life through painted animation—rooted in truth and powered by dignity.
Each piece had a role to play:
- Awareness: Who qualifies, and why this matters.
- Filing for Loved Ones: Showing survivors they can still speak—for those who no longer can.
- Category 2 (Abuse) Claims: Tackling the most difficult chapter, with grace and care. (In production)
- Final Call: “I filed.” – Real reasons. Real resolve. A final, powerful push to act. (In production)
We leaned into powerful symbolism and storytelling:
- The impasto-style and animation were inspired by real survivors and their stories—including Reginald Percival, whose courage brought this case to life.
- Scenes paid homage to cultural elements—smudging, sacred jewelry, aurora borealis, and the physical geography of northern communities.
- Voiceovers were recorded by Indigenous speakers in English, French, Cree, and Dene—through partnership with an Indigenous radio station.
- Even the music was hand-scored, echoing the emotional and spiritual weight of the campaign.
We couldn’t show faces. But we showed everything else—honor, grief, healing, and legacy.
Brand Deliverables
- Script Writing (English, French)
- Creative Concept
- Custom Graphic Design (Impasto/painted animation)
- Video Editing (x4 commercial series)
- Audio Editing + Custom Score
- Indigenous Voice Over Recording & Direction (English, French, Cree, Dene)
Visual Gallery
The two concepts below: The first uses impasto stylization, which matches the brand and culture of the brand. The second is life-like to enhance depth and emotion in the storytelling.