Heetch Campaign: Fixing AI Bias with Postcards | Clapboard

Greetings from la Banlieue

Description

In November 2023, Heetch launched its compelling integrated campaign "Greetings from la Banlieue" in France, created in collaboration with BETC Paris, aiming to tackle entrenched AI biases in the travel and tourism sector. This innovative initiative confronts the negative stereotypes perpetuated by the generative AI platform Midjourney, which distorts the image of the Parisian suburbs—or "banlieue"—by generating bleak and unrepresentative visuals when prompted with the term. Recognizing that Midjourney's AI, despite revolutionizing image creation since its 2022 inception, inadvertently reinforces damaging clichés, Heetch mobilized the 12.5 million inhabitants of the banlieue to rewrite this narrative. By developing an extensive, authentic photographic database that highlights the true, vibrant banlieue, Heetch sought to balance the AI’s representation but faced the challenge of reaching Midjourney's small team of only 11 employees based in San Francisco. The creative solution was as clever as it was unusual: transforming thousands of these genuine images into postcards, distributing them widely throughout local communities in bakeries, laundromats, sports fields, eateries, and Heetch ride-hailing cars, providing residents with the means to add personal messages directly to the company. Each postcard, featuring a preprinted address and a QR code linking to the database, serves not only as a call to action but also as a tangible bridge between the suburbs and Silicon Valley’s AI developers. This grassroots engagement empowers banlieue residents to actively participate in correcting AI bias, demonstrating Heetch’s deep commitment to defending and reshaping perceptions of their home territory. Through "Greetings from la Banlieue," Heetch effectively blends social responsibility with inventive marketing and communication strategies to challenge stereotypes, foster inclusion, and establish a genuine connection between local communities and global technology influencers. Follow Heetch on Instagram, X, TikTok, and Facebook to stay updated on this impactful campaign.

Credits

Client

Heetch

Agency

BETC Paris

Campaign

Greetings From La Banlieue

Brand

Heetch

Brand Managers

Renaud Berthe, Hector Gruyer, Benjamin Sousa

Agency Managers

Mathieu Laugier, Aude Devaux, Lara Lefort

Chief Creative Officer

Stephane Xiberras

Executive Creative Director

Olivier Aumard

Copywriters

Sebastien Duhaud, Matthieu Bouilhot

Art Director

Charles Dessaux

Traffic Manager

Nathalie Sanseigne

Creative Producer

Sebastien Lintingre

Production House

Sovage

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