SAN FRANCISCO – Wells Fargo & Company joins forces with a few of the most recognizable faces in entertainment for an interactive campaign to extend its year-long celebratory tour featuring The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey – Where Art and History Intersect.
The renowned collection features African American art and artifacts chronicling the African American experience from the 1600’s to present. Jordin Sparks, Lauren London, Lance Gross and Talib Kweli serve as featured curators in a four-part short film series, “Untold Stories: Our Inspired History,” that consists of documentary- style narrations taking viewers through specific points in history represented by artifacts in The Kinsey Collection. The series can be viewed online at www.youtube.com/wellsfargo. Additionally, fans are encouraged to join in the conversation and share their own untold stories via Twitter using the #KinseyUntold hashtag.
“Wells Fargo’s primary goal in collaborating with the Kinsey family to bring this collection to audiences across the country was to create an opportunity for others to engage in dialogue around the rich history of African Americans.” says Lisa Frison, African American segment manager, “The Untold Stories campaign is an exciting extension of this partnership, and an innovative way to continue the discussion about the significant contributions of African Americans.”
The series is designed to educate viewers about the historical impact of African American history on modern life using the perspective of each celebrity curator. In one video, Lance Gross describes the trials faced by Josiah Walls, an early African American statesmen in the 41st and 42nd Congress. Another features Jordin Sparks sharing the accomplishments of a young Phillis Wheatley, the first African American woman poet to be published.
“The Kinsey Collection strives to give our ancestors a voice, name and personality, enabling the viewer to understand the challenges, obstacles, triumphs and extraordinary sacrifice of African Americans who’ve greatly contributed to the success of this country,” said Bernard Kinsey, “We are delighted to join with Wells Fargo in honoring the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation by sharing this collection with national audiences.”
The Wells Fargo “Untold Stories: Our Inspired History” campaign extends into social media with the launch of multiple video vignettes featuring prominent lifestyle bloggers sharing their personal stories. The robust social media influencer strategy aims to broaden the reach of the campaign by tapping into the networks of each influencer to emphasize the role of history and its significance to today.
Denene Millner —participating influencer and New York Times Bestselling Author named one of the most influential black female writers by Black Voices— recently shared personal reflections via her popular My Brown Baby blog on the Family First short film featuring Talib Kweli.
For more information or details on the “Untold Stories: Our Inspired History” campaign, please visit www.wellsfargo.com/kinseycollectionhttp://www.thekinseytourmicrosite.com/.
An exhibition of the renowned Kinsey Collection is currently on tour in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Presented by Wells Fargo, the tour officially launched during Black History Month at the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco, CA. On June 29, the tour kicked off its second stop at the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte, NC. It will move to Baltimore’s Reginald F. Lewis Museum in November.
For a limited time, customers wishing to “own a piece” of the collection can personalize their Wells Fargo debit and/ or credit card with a select piece of art from The Kinsey Collection. Customers can visit Wells Fargo Card Design StudioTM at: www.wellsfargo.com/carddesignstudio and select Kinsey Art in the image library
