The Concept

KEEP OUT

PlanetFab reframed BULLY as a warning. Instead of showcasing a scene or a face from the film, we fashioned the poster using the universal “NO” symbol to instantly communicate danger, transforming the title itself into the message.

The Key Art

For the design and composition, we used yellow to signal caution and potential hazard, a red slash to signal absolute prohibition, and a block typeface to give the word BULLY a juvenile look. We then distressed everything to feel weathered, adding hand-scratched insults and a rusty nail to make clear that bullying does not belong here. “IT’S TIME TO TAKE A STAND” became the call to action.

Beyond the Documentary

As the documentary made its way into theaters, our poster design began to take on a life of its own, sparking a national conversation about the urgent need to address bullying in our schools. The impact became unmistakably clear as the poster evolved into a rallying cry for the movement itself.

Schools and community organizations adopted it as their own symbol, hanging it in classrooms and hallways as a statement of commitment to safe, inclusive environments.

The film’s producers built on that momentum with The BULLY Project, the national campaign that carried the conversation into schools and communities worldwide.

The Outcome

The theatrical poster was recognized by two major entertainment-marketing award programs:

2012 Clio Entertainment Shortlist — Theatrical Poster, Domestic One-Sheet, Print & Print Technique. Clio

2012 Golden Trailer Award Nominee — Best Documentary Poster. Variety and Deadline identify PlanetFab as the producer of the poster for The Weinstein Company. Variety Deadline

By 2014, BULLY had reached more than 3.4 million children through over 10,000 school and community screenings. ITVS

In 2014, Adobe partnered with The BULLY Project and Lee Hirsch on The BULLY Project Mural, a digital mosaic for sharing artwork and personal stories about bullying. Adobe Behance

Seeing the impact of our concept and design go beyond a theatrical key art poster to resonate with schools and communities and launch BULLY’s anti-bullying message far beyond the theater is one of the most meaningful outcomes of this project.

What began as a poster became the visual identity for a larger conversation, carried forward by the filmmakers, The BULLY Project, educators, students, community partners, and Adobe.