JFK Library reimagines Kennedy's 'Moon Shot' speech for the TikTok generation

If JFK were alive today and making his "Moon Shot" speech, would he be using TikTok? A new campaign from the JFK Library Foundation imagines what that might look like. Today (Sept. 12) is the 60th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's "Moon Shot" speech, in which he issued a rousing challenge to mankind to attempt to land on the moon. The JFK Library Foundation has created a new social media initiative aimed at Gen Z that uses JFK's words and turns them into an audio track to inspire a new generation. It asks them, "How will you choose to change the world?" "We Choose 2," created via agency MullenLowe Boston, reimagines the speech as a music track, which will be made available on TikTok and Instagram Reels. The agency worked with Safari Riot on the remix, which sets JFK's words to sounds specifically designed for social media. From today, the campaign will encourage young content creators and influencers in fields ranging from environmentalism to human rights and technology to repost the track using the hashtag "#wechoose2," stating what they would do to create a better world. The campaign includes a website where people can listen to the track and learn more about JFK and his space initiatives. It's aimed at driving awareness and buzz around JFK's relevance and legacy. There will also be digital out-of-home elements, posters and merchandise around the campaign. “President Kennedy challenged America to go to the moon not because it was easy, but because it was hard—and his leadership changed the world,” Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson, said in a statement. “'We Choose 2' encourages our generation to commit to the big challenges we face today, together and toward a better future—just like JFK.” “'We Choose 2' gave us the creative opportunity to take John F. Kennedy’s iconic words and use them to inspire a new generation of voices,” added Tim Vaccarino, executive creative director, MullenLowe. “It reimagines a piece of history and invites young leaders and content creators to express their ‘moon shot’ in their own unique way." The work is the latest in a number of campaigns that have tried to make President Kennedy's legacy relevant to the modern world via technology. Previous work from the JFK Library and Museum, by The Martin Agency, has included having the President tweet from beyond the grave and encouraging people to share their vision for the nation on social media by using the President's "New Frontier" speech. And a 2018 campaign by The Times of London and Rothco (now Droga5 Dublin) used AI to "enable" JFK to deliver the speech he was meant to present in 1963 in Dallas.

JFK Library reimagines Kennedy's 'Moon Shot' speech for the TikTok generation

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