Tuesday, August 22, 2006

CHILDHOOD HERO APPEAL: BE A SUPERHERO


The Australian Childhood Foundation, via Clemenger BBDO Melbourne has put to air a tvc as part of a pro bono campaign to fight child abuse.
Clems group CD Emma Hill explains the rationale: "A donation appeal for child abuse is an incredibly difficult subject for an agency and a client.
How do you best tell the story?
Do you tell the absolute truth and shock people? It’s a powerful direction, but people seem to be almost immune to this now.
Do you make them laugh, use humour or fantasy, and really “like” your charity, then in turn, make them want to donate?
But then again, this isn’t a subject we felt comfortable treating lightly. It’s way too delicate.
So, we found ourselves somewhere in the middle.
Reality and fantasy.
What we set out to show was a terrifying situation. A situation that an abused child may regularly find themselves in, but we wanted to give it a very different twist.
We gave the child the power to stop the abuse.
A five year old with the super power to stop an adult entering his room at night.
It’s an impossible scenario.
But from that impossibility comes the power.
What if this could happen? What if you could help a child to have power like this?
We explain to the viewer that they can help, by donating. It’s an awesome message.
Add to that an incredible track, which we were honoured to have approved by Universal Music, The Cash Family Estate, producer Rick Rubin, and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails – and we think this spot is thought provoking, powerful, and something we’re very proud of.
If we can help raise awareness and money, to protect and council these children, we have succeeded.
We hope you think so too."


CREDITS:
Title: Superhero
Client: Australian Childhood Foundation
National Marketing Manager - Ruth Lancaster
Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Emma Hill - Creative Director
Cameron Hoelter - Associate Creative Director
Sevda Cemo - Agency Producer
Jonathon Isaacs - Account Service
Production Company: Exit Films
Mark Molloy - Director
Wilf Sweetland - Producer
Bob Humphries - DoP
Rohan Zerna - Editor
Post Production: digitalpictures
Martin Greer - Colourist
Eugene Richards - Online Editor
Kirsten Cortizo - Producer
Music Placement Agency: Level Two Music
Karl Richter - Music Director
Music Track
Johnny Cash's version of Trent Reznor’s ‘Hurt’ released by American Recordings. Master through Universal Music / Publishing - Mushroom.
The Cash Estate, Rick Rubin, Trent Reznor, Universal Music & Mushroom Publishing.
Risk Sound
James Ashton - Sound Engineer
Kath Momsen - Producer
Soundfirm
Chris Goods – Sound Engineer
Clare Carmody – Producer

Special thanks to all of the talented people that contributed to this pro bono job, particularly Mark Molloy (Exit - Director) and Wilf Sweetland (Exit - Producer) for their tireless efforts in making this an extremely powerful piece.
Level Two music with their help in obtaining the track and Eugene Richards for beautifully finishing in the HD Smoke Suite at digitalpictures.

27 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very, very good.

5:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What an absolute fucking stunner.

Congrats to all involved, it's really, really good.

And as a mate of Mark Molloy's - mate, you're really kicking them out...

6:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent work, Emma et al.

6:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

class

6:42 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

love it. powerful stuff

6:56 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Indulgent rubbish. Clems used to do much better stuff for paying clients.

6:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very very not good

7:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, not even Johnny Cash and Trent Reznor can lift this one to anything more than an AWARD School idea.
Greenwood hasn't arrived a minute too soon. Hats off to the DOP (and only the DOP) though.

7:56 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow. Very powerful.

8:45 PM  
Blogger Silverfisken said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

7:34 AM  
Blogger Silverfisken said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

7:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

An award school ad?

That comment can clearly only come from an Award School student.

- A personal belief of mine that at least half of the anonymous bad-mouthing bloggers are actually juniors enjoying their anonymous status to bad-mouth their betters.

Oh well.

8:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

that's awesome. got chills

9:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree, it's a powerful ad. The music, direction and casting are all inspired.

Wasn't quite sure whether the superpowers/childhood hero lines linked as seamlessly as they could, but that's nit-picking. Well done to all involved.

10:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I got chills.

They're multiplyin'

10:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

10.22am ... and you're losing control?

10:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

And the power, you're supplyin'

*everybody now*

12:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The idea isn't weak, but I liked it for its beautiful execution.

Signed,

Senior writer, good agency. (Seems to be important on the blog these days.)

2:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Brilliant!!

3:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

6.58 what have you done recently to top this ad?

3:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lovely ad.


6:58, you're a chump. 7:56, you're an even bigger chump.

3:31 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Shame you didn't/couldn't use Trent's version, one of the all time great songs, just doesn't sound the same from Cash.

3:43 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very moving spot. Great work everyone involved. Hope you get lots of donations and the money does some good - unlike most of the negativity on this site

7:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No smashing bottles? No rage from a drunkard? I think the whole thing is good, but it could be better with a little bit of drama.. and I think the 'pushing door' part(look more like bouncing back forth) is a bit... lame... Overall I get the msg but the message doesnt trigger me.
Saw this in bestadsontv.

3:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where did you get the "Childhood Hero" idea from? Nice.

1:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Andy Lish came up with the Childhood Hero idea a few years ago, he spent ages trying to get it off the ground. He had some really nice work.

This execution isn't his though, and it is bloody excellent.

11:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm insanely picky with ads and all myself, but this choked me right up the first time I saw it. I hadn't heard of any similar ideas before that these other people are comparing it to, so for the general viewing public, even when fussy as I am... yeah, it's brilliant. It flows fine for me - some people are just more anal than perfectionistic ;)

Great link.

5:06 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home