Client: Barnardo's
Project: Acquisition
Media: DRTV, digital
Scope: Copywriting, creative direction
Barnardo's wanted to broaden their acquisition channels into DRTV, a channel that had proved challenging.
We were able to meet with children who had gone through traumatic experiences, and hear their stories first-hand. What quickly became apparent to me was that there was no better way to tell that story than with the child's own words. And so, the 'how I felt' series was conceived.
In the first ad, below, How Sophie Felt (name changed to protect her identity), we hear the story of a child who had been groomed and sexually abused. Reiterating to the viewer that Sophie was still a child, even after all she had gone through gave us a strong script, and powerful performances directed by Sam Huntley through the production company Vince, this ad is one of the most strikingly authentic campaigns I've had the privilege to work on.
The second ad, above, How Jessica Felt (name changed), focuses on the mental health struggles faced by Jessica after the death of her father. And how a donation could help a Barnardo's project worker build confidence in a child that life can get better. Directed by Jake Wynne, again through production company Vince, perhaps the greatest compliment came from 'Jessica' herself, who said 'this ad is perfect, it captures exactly how I felt'.