0:00animated us map question The scene opens with an animated map of the United States, filled with a dense, repeating pattern of small, cartoonish icons representing various working-class professions and tools, such as spray bottles, cleaning supplies, tools, hard hats, and stylized faces. The background color of the map is a vibrant pink, contrasting with the dark gray background of the frame. The camera is static, providing a wide shot of the map, centered on the screen. The top left corner displays 'attn:' in white text on a black rectangle, while the top right corner shows the 'amazon' logo in white. A white text overlay at the bottom reads: 'How did we get to a point in America where you can work a full-time job,'. The overall mood is serious and inquisitive, set by the question posed.
0:03animated piggy bank poverty The scene transitions to a plain, dark gray background with a stylized, round, pink piggy bank, facing left, centered in the frame. White text from the previous scene continues: 'yet still be in poverty?'. As the voiceover speaks, a jagged white line appears across the piggy bank, indicating a crack. The crack quickly expands, and the piggy bank shatters into two pieces, falling to the bottom of the screen. Simultaneously, a small, white, stylized butterfly icon gently floats upwards from where the piggy bank was, symbolizing a transformation or release. The lighting is even and flat, emphasizing the cartoonish style. The mood is one of questioning and a subtle hint of despair or transformation.
0:05minimum wage graph 1968 This scene displays an animated infographic on a bright green background with a subtle grid pattern. In the center, a large teal-colored speech bubble-like shape highlights a 'MINIMUM WAGE' amount. Initially, it shows '$1.25', then quickly changes to '$1.60', and finally to '$12.24' as the voiceover explains the equivalent value. Below this, a stylized suburban street with numerous identical white houses with red roofs and sparse trees stretches horizontally. Above, a bright yellow sun and simple white clouds are visible against a light blue sky within a circular frame, symbolizing a positive economic outlook. A white line graph representing economic trends subtly moves across the bottom of the screen. Text at the bottom reads '1968'. The camera remains static, presenting a clear, informative visual.
0:13reagan economics map hat The scene transitions to an animated map of the United States on a purple background, with most states colored red, and a few states (like Minnesota and parts of New England) colored light blue. Text appears at the bottom: 'When conservative economics became popular with President Ronald Reagan's election in 1980,'. The camera is static. Suddenly, a cartoon newspaper with the headline 'REAGAN WINS!' and an illustration of a yellow cowboy hat emerges and flips into view, momentarily covering the map before disappearing. This leads into a shot of a stylized yellow cowboy hat with a red band, centered against a dark purple background with a faint, star-spangled banner-like pattern. A golden lasso spins around the hat, creating a circular motion. The visual style is cartoonish and symbolic.
0:20government vs markets graph The scene opens with a stylized white Capitol Building set against a dark purple cityscape silhouette. A golden lasso, similar to the previous scene, encircles the Capitol Building, emphasizing the government. The text continues: 'the consensus was that markets, not the government, should dictate wages.' The lasso then quickly shrinks, and the Capitol Building is replaced by three rising skyscrapers, composed of light blue windows on gray buildings, suggesting corporate power. The scene quickly cuts to a dark purple background with a grid pattern, featuring a minimalist bar graph. The X-axis is labeled '1980' and '1988'. Eight gray bars representing years rise from the bottom, all at the same low height. A dashed white line stretches across the top of these bars, indicating a stagnant minimum wage. A teal speech bubble appears above the bars, stating 'MINIMUM WAGE' and '$3.10', visually confirming the stagnation. Text at the bottom reads: 'As a result, there was no raise throughout Reagan's eight years in office.'
0:29minimum wage purchasing power The scene transitions to a dark gray background. At the top, '2021' is displayed in large teal numbers. Below, a white smartphone with a light blue screen features a grid of circular app-like icons, each depicting various needs (car, graduation cap, shirt, fast food, bed). A teal banner at the bottom of the phone screen reads 'MINIMUM WAGE' and '$7.25'. This is followed by a split screen comparison. On the left, '1960' is displayed, with a '$1.60' minimum wage, accompanied by numerous icons representing goods and services (car, groceries, house, education, tropical vacation, coffee cup) spread across the screen, showing greater purchasing power. On the right, '2021' with '$7.25' minimum wage shows fewer icons (a shirt, fast food, and a bed), indicating reduced purchasing power. Text at the bottom states: 'Today, the federal minimum wage is only $7.25 per hour, far lower in purchasing power than in the 1960s.' The camera remains static.
0:35income calculation cash register The scene features a dark gray background with three central animated elements: a white analog clock on the left with a red second hand rapidly ticking, a teal cash register in the center printing a long receipt, and a red calendar on the right, showing months flipping from 'JAN' to 'DEC'. The hands of the clock move rapidly, signifying the passage of time and work hours. As the calendar pages turn and the cash register prints a long receipt, a dollar amount appears on the cash register's screen: '$15,080.00'. White text at the bottom reads: 'If you work 40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, at the minimum wage, your annual income is only $15,080.'. The overall tone is urgent and highlights the inadequacy of the minimum wage.
0:43poverty line indicators The scene transitions to a slightly darker gray background, featuring several animated icons that symbolize financial struggle and poverty. On the left, a framed illustration of a family of two (an adult with dark hair and a child with blonde hair) is shown. In the center, two pieces of paper float in mid-air; one is a bill with 'PAST DUE' stamped in red. To the right, a calendar shows 'DEC', and below it, a broken pink piggy bank is split in half. At the bottom of the screen, two paper bags of fast food and a soda cup with a green straw are depicted, suggesting a reliance on inexpensive meals. White text at the bottom explains: 'For a family of just two, that is below the federal poverty line.'. The visuals combine to create a somber and concerning atmosphere.
0:47diverse workers solution question The background shifts to a vibrant, light blue. In the foreground, five stylized, diverse animated worker characters stand side-by-side, facing forward. From left to right, they represent a nurse/medical professional, a waiter/server, a general worker in a plain t-shirt, a delivery person/police officer, and an office worker with a headset. Each character is simply designed, with distinct skin tones and outfits. The text at the bottom poses a question: 'So how do we change our economy to serve young American workers?'. As the camera slowly zooms out, these five characters multiply and form several rows, creating an expanding grid of diverse workers, suggesting a larger workforce and collective impact. The overall color palette is bright and hopeful, despite the challenging question.
0:51call to action share video The scene is a split screen with a sharp vertical division. The left side is a blurred, solid blue background, while the right side features a repeat of the animated worker icons on a pink background, similar to the opening scene, but also blurred. In the center, bold white text reads: 'SHARE THIS VIDEO' with a smaller line below: 'and help support a $15 an hour minimum wage.'. The camera is static. This scene serves as a direct call to action, utilizing bright, contrasting colors and large text to grab attention.
0:56amazon outro end card The scene is a static black screen. In the center, white text is displayed in two lines: 'We've seen the benefits of a $15/hr starting wage since 2018.' followed by 'Learn more about our position at AboutAmazon.com/15'. Below this, in smaller text, it says 'SPONSORED BY' and then the 'amazon' logo in its distinctive white font on a black background. This serves as an end card, providing information and branding for Amazon.
