Atlantis, Paradise Island Forms Shared Mission Coalition to Nurture a Bahamian Cultural and Entrepreneurial Renaissance

Creative Studio Celebrates a Nation

Atlantis, Paradise Island Bahamas announces a first-of-its-kind shared mission coalition to nurture the Bahamian creative and entrepreneurial community. Junkanoo drummer pictured. (Photo: Business Wire)

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas--()--Atlantis, Paradise Island Bahamas announces a first-of-its-kind shared mission coalition to nurture the Bahamian creative and entrepreneurial community. The resort has partnered with shared mission creative agency, enso, to develop an impact platform for the people and culture of The Bahamas. Kicking off a commitment to storytelling, preserving the oral and visual history of the country and creating a platform for Bahamian makers to share their works with the world, “Come to Life”, is the shared mission storytelling platform and the first dispatch of the cultural movement, launches today.

“The world has changed since Atlantis first opened. Businesses must now partner with their communities to achieve shared sustainable success,” notes Howard C. Karawan, President and Managing Director of Atlantis. “We needed to bring the soul and richness of our location and our people to the forefront. It already existed at Atlantis - in our connection to the ocean, the marine life and most importantly, embedded in each of our 7,500 associates. The stories were here, waiting to be told. We always knew Atlantis was in The Bahamas, but what we forgot is that The Bahamas is in Atlantis. By encouraging our team to share their stories and let their personalities shine, we have seen inspirational moments between the Bahamian spirit and our guests. In doing so we are imbuing our people, and Bahamians in general, with a sense of pride and empowerment.”

“Come to Life” is a visual journey that provides an intimate peek into the spirit of the Bahamas through the soul of 15 Bahamian artists, musicians and designers. The initial creative component is a :60 second, anthemic cinematic expression film featuring a voiceover by Jeffrey Poitier, a native Bahamian actor, film director and nephew of legendary Bahamian icon Sidney Poitier. The longer form film will be released later this month.

As a mission-based creative agency, enso believes the future of marketing is people and brands with shared values working together to drive business success with positive impact. “enso’s mission is impact as scale,” said Kirk Souder, Co-Founder of enso. “And from my first talks with Howard Karawan over seven months ago about the potential for Atlantis to be a positive impact platform for the people of the Bahamas, we knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime. We’re honored to help bring this vision to life and keep growing it from there.”

“COME TO LIFE”

Atlantis is turning its own marketing into a storytelling opportunity to celebrate Bahamian #artists and groups – from #photographers to #musicians and artists – who represent the talented community of their native land. The movement focuses on co-creation with these artisans, in order to provide them with a platform for global recognition and success. These include: T!CA HOL!DAY, a 23-year old soulful R&B singer songwriter who originates from Andros Island, Bahamas; Bahamian visual artists and painters Piaget Moss, Pam Burnside, Allan Wallace and Steffon Grant, who explore ideas of personal identity and human emotion; Antonius Roberts, one of The Bahamas’ most prominent artists and sculptors; photographer and artist Dede Brown; photographer Farreno Ferguson; creator Cherell Williamson; models Latesia Smith, Sacha Kalis and Jessica Thompson; Atlantis employees Ordain Moss (Human Resources) and Ryan Dean (Dolphin Cay Behaviorist); and the music of the Roots Junkanoo Group and Bahamian Voices.

“The cultural and ecological gems within The Bahamas and at Atlantis have long been hidden from the world,” according to Lauren Snyder, Chief Marketing Officer for Atlantis, Paradise Island. “Marketing is a craft and on this project we explored the concept of authenticity. It was most important to simply let the story unfold, evolve and live. This film and the accompanying images are a platform to nurture a Bahamian renaissance. The sounds. The smiles. The voices. The land and the sea. All speak to life and the magnificence of the experience here.” She added, “Atlantis has long been the home of many magical voices, stories and memories. Through this shared mission creative studio, comprised of so many talented visionaries, we have simply turned the camera around.”

“A LOVE LETTER TO THE BAHAMAS”

At the helm of the film production, Director - Variable x Per-Hampus Stalhandske, music producer - Sam Spiegel, and Creative Stylist Director - Ron Hansford tapped local and intriguing personalities to feature their inspiring stories. The film will immerse audiences into the fascinating Bahamian culture filled with vivid and inviting cinematography that taps into local creativity and a soulful spirit.

“When I first heard about this project, I had no idea either about Atlantis or The Bahamas,” said Per-Hampus Stalhandske. “I knew it was white sand and blue water but that was about it. I was really excited when I started digging into it and learning more about Atlantis and learning more about the country and then coming here – it kind of changed everything – when you get to meet all these people, see all the places and really dive into the culture. It was very eye opening, it really changed my perspective. This was the project I have been waiting all my life to create.”

The music in the film, produced by Sam Spiegel, showcases local musicians from the Roots Junkanoo Group and Bahamian Voices. The Roots Junkanoo Group was born more than 25 years ago out of the collective vision of a group of young Junkanoo visionaries. Their goal was to have a true voice in the leadership and direction of the group as well as nurturing Junkanoo talent. Bahamian Voices was formed to preserve the musical heritage of The Bahamas and display their love for their country through song and dance. The local group is comprised of male and female vocalists who are alumni of The Bahamas National Youth Choir.

“This music quickly became a whole track that I’m getting ready to release for the summer,” said Sam Spiegel. “It is really a tribute to The Bahamas and a tribute to Junkanoo music. I explore a culture through its music. When I discovered this unique genre of music (Junkanoo), I quickly found out it is very rich in tradition and culture. Right when we first started writing, I wanted to honor and celebrate the people and culture of The Bahamas and was inspired by T!CA as a Bahamian woman. I wanted to draw on her love for her country and Junkanoo as it is really about coming together. The song is a love letter to The Bahamas.”

“I worked at Atlantis a few years ago and to actually come back and be the voice of this movement is amazing – to see how you can go from being someone in the background to being in front of something so magical is something I never imagined,” said T!CA HOL!DAY. “There have never been ‘Bahamian Creatives’ - where their people support and make a conscious effort to actually listen to the work. This opportunity is good for me not only as a Bahamian, but as a Bahamian Woman, to show other woman all over this country that we are being acknowledged.”

THE CREATIVE STUDIO & SHARED MISSION PARTNERS

The creative studio was co-designed by Atlantis and enso to align several content collaborators toward the new shared mission established by Atlantis – from the artisans and music to the behind-the-scenes footage and new brand architecture. The shared mission creative studio includes Magpie Studio, a design studio in London, Horizon Media in New York, Overabove, an editorial marketing agency in Connecticut and Rokkan in New York, an integrated agency helping to redesign atlantisbahamas.com. Other partners in furthering the mission include ABC-TV, key market ABC Owned & Affiliate TV Stations, and iHeartMedia. More partners will be announced throughout the year.

Protecting and restoring the surrounding ecology is a critical goal of the “Come to Life” mission. The Disney Conservation Fund (DCF), a program of ABC’s parent company Disney, has been supporting conservation programs in more than 115 countries over the past two decades, including efforts to reverse the decline of wildlife such as sea turtles, sharks and coral reefs. Atlantis’ non-profit organization, Atlantis Blue Project Foundation’s (ABPF), also works to support environmental organizations helping to ensure a future for marine life in The Bahamas. Both programs share a commitment to protecting and restoring coral reefs around The Bahamas, advancing conservation efforts for marine animals and their habitats, and engaging communities to take action for the ocean. It is a natural connection for ABC and Atlantis to work together to use storytelling to engage and inspire audiences.

“We’re looking forward to taking our ABC viewers on an immersive journey, sharing these stories across Good Morning America and our ABC Owned TV Stations, inspiring others to experience these amazing natural wonders like never before”, said Jeremiah Tachna, Senior Vice-President, ABC Full Circle.

Alongside ABC, iHeartMedia and Horizon Media have committed their own platforms and efforts to give the film and messages the greatest spotlight. iHeartMedia will exclusively power music and sound that will be heard onsite throughout Atlantis and will also launch a dedicated channel, “Atlantis Radio,” available nationally on iHeartRadio. The channel will feature artists from around The Bahamas as well as the sounds captured from the ocean, the marine life and the marine biologists who make up the on island team. The curated music experience at the property will be driven through iHeartMedia’s expert audio programmers, who will capture the mood, time of day and energy of the experience at Atlantis.

“We are excited to weave the power of sound throughout the Atlantis experience, to inspire travelers on air and on-site,” said Gayle Troberman, Chief Marketing Officer of iHeartMedia. “This is a first for both iHeartMedia and Atlantis and together we will co-create the musical moments that help to make vacation memories – from the best digital beats, to the most mind-blowing live performances. Atlantis vacationers will be able to enjoy these one-of-a-kind music experiences that bring together the power of radio with the magic of the Bahamian culture to move you from one amazing moment to the next.”

iHeartMedia and Atlantis have also developed a national, multiplatform, 360-degree sound experience which will be brought to life to millions of listeners across the United States through top, on-air, nationally-syndicated personalities Ryan Seacrest and Elvis Duran.

For imagery, high resolution video, and more information on “Come to Life,” visit www.cometolifeatlantis.com. #cometolifeatlantis

About Atlantis, Paradise Island

Atlantis, Paradise Island is a lush, oceanside resort located on Paradise Island in The Bahamas. A dynamic destination that launched 20 years ago as a first-of-its-kind modern marvel of nature and engineering, Atlantis has embarked on a new chapter tied to a meaningful connection with the ocean, Bahamian culture and the spirit of the property’s over 7,500 employees. The resort’s new, immersive programming connects guests to the rich history, art, people, food and festivities of The Bahamas.

Atlantis features five distinct properties in which to stay, from the iconic Royal Towers to the original Beach and Coral Towers to the newly built luxury properties, The Cove and The Reef. The Coral Towers will reopen in July, 2017 as a fully redesigned family escape with a new lobby, new rooms, new dedicated pool and new amenities. The resort is built around Aquaventure, an innovative, 141-acre waterscape of thrilling slides and river rides, pools and white sand beaches. Home to the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, over 50,000 marine animals from 250 species make their home in the ocean fed environments. From unparalleled meeting and convention space to the luxury Atlantis Marina accommodating yachts up to 220 feet in length overlooking Marina Village, a Bahamian marketplace, the Atlantis experiences are endless. Other resort amenities include the 30,000sf tranquil Mandara Spa, Atlantis Kids Adventures (AKA) for children ages 3-12 and CRUSH, a cutting-edge teen club. The resort’s award-winning 18-hole Tom Weiskopf designed golf course, renowned Atlantis Casino and duty free shopping are complemented by the property's 40 restaurants and lounges with celebrity chef culinary masterpieces including Nobu, by Nobu Matsuhisa; Olives, by Todd English and Casa D’Angelo by Chef Angelo Elia.

Dolphin Cay, the resort’s 14-acre marine mammal habitat, is a state-of-the-art education center and animal-rescue rehabilitation hospital whose first residents were 16 rescue dolphins from Hurricane Katrina. Visitors to Dolphin Cay can participate in creative, non-disruptive “interactions” that build real awareness, stir emotion and help fund the resort’s conservation efforts. Through these guest participations and those offered through Atlantis Marine Adventures, over $5 million dollars has been generated to support environmental conservation via the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation (ABPF), a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization.

For reservations, visit www.AtlantisBahamas.com. call your travel agent or 800-ATLANTIS.

Follow Atlantis on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Atlantis, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AtlantisResort, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/AtlantisResort.

About enso

Enso is a mission-driven creative company. We build mission-driven brands and shared missions that create positive impact at scale. Based in Los Angeles, our client partners include Google, Atlantis, Omidyar Network, Everytable, Khan Academy, and The Nature Conservancy. Through our Shared Mission network, enso has built a new model for collaborative action and cross-sector solutions. More information at enso.co and sharedmission.co.

About iHeartMedia

With over a quarter of a billion monthly listeners in the U.S. and over 85 million social followers, iHeartMedia has the largest national reach of any radio or television outlet in America. As the leader in multiplatform connections, it also serves over 150 local markets through 858 owned radio stations, and the company’s radio stations and content can be heard on AM/FM, HD digital radio, satellite radio, on the Internet at iHeartRadio.com and on the company’s radio station websites, on the iHeartRadio mobile app, in enhanced auto dashes, on tablets, wearables and smartphones, and on gaming consoles.

iHeartRadio, iHeartMedia’s digital radio platform, is the fastest growing digital audio service in the U.S. and offers users thousands of live radio stations, personalized custom artist stations created by just one song or seed artist and the top podcasts and personalities. With over a billion downloads, iHeartRadio reached 100 million registered users faster than any other radio or digital music service.

iHeartMedia’s platforms include radio broadcasting, online, mobile, digital and social media, podcasts, personalities and influencers, live concerts and events, syndication, music research services and independent media representation. iHeartMedia is a division of iHeartMedia, Inc. (OTCBB: IHRT). Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

About Rokkan

Rokkan, a partner for brave change, takes its name from the Japanese word for “the sixth sense,” bringing intuition to research and strategy to help brands create data-driven and highly creative storytelling, social engagement, customer experience and e-commerce. Founded in 2000, Rokkan has grown from a three-person startup into an innovation outlier within the Publicis Groupe. With offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Singapore, Rokkan leverages a unique and nimble approach that blends strategy, storytelling, and technology for outstanding results. Clients include American Express, Cadillac, Hallmark, JetBlue Airways, Purina Nestle, Samsung and Veuve Clicquot.

For more information visit www.rokkan.com, or follow us at @Rokkan, on FB and Instagram.

About Magpie Studio

As a brand consultancy, we believe that creative thinking can elevate a business on both a commercial and emotional level. We pride ourselves on delivering bright ideas that catch the eye, connect with an audience and make a message unforgettable. Ours is simple approach: Listen to our clients; understand their audience; solve their problems.

About Overabove

We understand the world of new media and how to make traditional media work smarter—and harder. That’s how we help clients rise above the growing clutter and noise of thousands of messages and brands clamoring to get into people’s heads. We built Overabove for the way people consume information today.

About Horizon Media

Horizon Media is the largest privately held media services agency in the world. The company was founded in 1989, is headquartered in New York and has a second full-service office in Los Angeles.

The agency is consistently recognized as an incredible workplace, and has been named to Fortune’s 2016 Best Workplaces in Advertising & Marketing list; appeared on Fortune’s 100 Top Places to Work for Women list in 2016; recognized as Crain’s Best Places to work in New York City list for four consecutive years; honored on Los Angeles Business Journal’s Best Places to Work in Los Angeles list in 2015 and 2016; and received Advertising Age’s 50 Best Places to Work in Advertising & Media designation in 2015, 2012, and 2011.

The agency is honored year on year with awards recognizing agency invention and innovation and its client work is feted across industry award shows such as The Effie Awards, Clios and Cannes Lions.

Founder, CEO, and President, Bill Koenigsberg, was named 4As Chair of the Board in 2014 and is the first person from a media agency to hold this prestigious position in the 100-year history of the 4As. Koenigsberg was been honored with additional industry accolades and appeared on Variety’s renowned Gotham 60 List; was featured as AdAge’s Industry Executive of the Year; and honored with Cynopsis’ prestigious "Champion Award.” Bill is also the only person to receive Advertising Age’s Media Maven Award twice.

The company’s mission is “To create the most meaningful brand connections within the lives of people everywhere.” By delivering on this mission through a holistic approach to brand marketing, Horizon Media has become one of the largest and fastest-growing media agencies in the industry, with estimated billings of over $7.5 billion and over 2,000 employees (#Horizonation), and clients that include Burger King, GEICO, LG Electronics USA, and A+E Networks.

For more information, visit: www.horizonmedia.com

“COME TO LIFE” – MAKERS

Pam Burnside, Artist and Art Advocate, wife of the late Jackson Burnside
Owner of Doongalik Studios Art Gallery, co-founder of Creative Nassau
Bonfire guest and Shared Mission Advisor

Aaron Burrows, The Roots Junkanoo Group
Junkanoo Drummer at Montagu Beach

Jarell Coakley, Model/Actor/Rap Artist, Mr. Bahamas 2015, CEO/Owner/Founder of Rellovant Entertainment
Man in forest

Tomii Culmer, Model, Miss Universe Bahamas 2014 (About)
Model dancing on beach

Ryan Dean, Artist & Atlantis Employee – Dolphin Cay
Dolphin Cay Behaviorist

T!CA HOL!DAY, Musician (About)
Artist on music track and Dancer in straw outfit

Sacha Kalis, @_bahamasgirl_(About)
Underwater Dig model

Ordain Moss, Singer/Songwriter and Atlantis Employee (About)
Model on leaves at Queen’s staircase

Piaget Moss, Artist (About)
Artist in Royal Lobby

Jeffrey Poitier, Voiceover (About)

Antonius Roberts, Artist (About)
Bonfire guest and Shared Mission Advisor

Sam Spiegel, Music Producer (About)

Per-Hampus Stalhandske, Director (reel)

The Roots Junkanoo Group (About)
Bonfire

Jessica Thompson, Model (About)
Queen's Staircase model

Cannon Turnquest, Bahamian child
Boy at Aquaventure

Allan Wallace, Artist (About)

Cherell Williamson, Creator, Miss Universe Bahamas 2016 (About)
Woman in front of Gold Medallion and in Dig

Talent used but not pictured in the :60

Bahamian Voices
Founded in 2016, Bahamian Voices is group of young males and female Bahamian vocalists ages 20-25 years old who are alumni of The Bahamas National Youth Choir.

Dede Brown, Artist and Photographer (About)

Farreno Ferguson, Photographer (About)

Steffon Grant, Artist (About)

Latesia Smith, Entrepreneur
Eyes with freckles and glitter

Contacts

Media:
Atlantis, Paradise Island: Megan.Napier@atlantisparadise.com
Laura Davidson Public Relations: sara@ldpr.com
Enso: hello@enso.co
iHeartMedia: AngelAristone@iheartmedia.com
Rokkan: press@Rokkan.com
Magpie Studio: hello@magpie-studio.com
OverAbove: Ralph Guardiano - rguardiano@overabove.com and John Visgilio - jvisgilio@overabove.com
Horizon Media: klobaczewski@horizonmedia.com

Release Summary

ATLANTIS, PARADISE ISLAND FORMS SHARED MISSION COALITION TO NURTURE A BAHAMIAN CULTURAL AND ENTREPRENEURIAL RENAISSANCE Creative Studio Celebrates a Nation

Contacts

Media:
Atlantis, Paradise Island: Megan.Napier@atlantisparadise.com
Laura Davidson Public Relations: sara@ldpr.com
Enso: hello@enso.co
iHeartMedia: AngelAristone@iheartmedia.com
Rokkan: press@Rokkan.com
Magpie Studio: hello@magpie-studio.com
OverAbove: Ralph Guardiano - rguardiano@overabove.com and John Visgilio - jvisgilio@overabove.com
Horizon Media: klobaczewski@horizonmedia.com