In front of his house, an unusually short-haired toddler plays with a garden hose. Water runs from it steadily, dampening the potted plants. But our youngster isn’t content to water the greenery. He heads up the walkway to the front door. Trouble is clearly in the offing.
Sure enough, the boy inserts the hose into the mail slot. Unseen by us, on the other side of that door either the carpet or hardwood floor is getting soaked—and there’s no adult in sight to stop the mini-flood.
If you’re a parent, you’re about to pull your hair out. But wait, a big-picture perspective puts this kid’s play in its proper context. A super fills the screen: "It’s okay."
The spot cuts to a long shot of the door. The kid presses his face up to the mail slot; intently curious, he watches the water pour into the house. With this scene as a backdrop, the super explains why everything’s hunky-dory: "Because life after a brain tumor can be beautiful."
A message appears against a white background: "Last year, we helped more than 100,000 kids get back to being kids."
This segues to a logo—a teddy bear holding a stethoscope—for the Children’s National Medical Center, Washington, D.C. The hospital’s slogan, "Specialists in life," is accompanied by a Web site address (www.dcchildrens.com) and a toll-free phone number (1-888-884-BEAR).
Titled "Hose," this :30 is one of six similarly themed spots in a Children’s National Medical Center campaign conceived by Earle Palmer Brown, Bethesda, Md. Other ads include "Plant," "Bathroom" and "Chocolate." In the latter, a toddler sits on a white couch, making patterns with a squeeze bottle of tasty chocolate syrup. In "Plant," a youngster creates his own little garden, watering soil and joyfully plopping himself down in the mud. Unfortunately, this patch of garden is sprouting on the pale living-room carpet; the dirt has spilled from a toppled houseplant. And in "Bathroom," a youngster unspools an entire roll of toilet paper, making an intriguing mess that worsens, as in all of the other spots, sans any adult supervision. We, the only grown-ups watching, are reminded that only a healthy child can create such imaginative disorder. That the importance of keeping our kids healthy transcends any mess. And that keeping our kids well is the province of Children’s National Medical Center.
The creative team at Earle Palmer Brown consisted of creative director Woody Kay, art director Imadan Achda, copywriter Dave Schafer and producer Will McDonald.
The spots were directed by Neil Tardio, Jr., of Los Angeles-headquartered A Band Apart Commercials. His support team at A Band Apart included exec producer Adam Bloom and line producer Jeremy Hammonds. The campaign was shot by DP Tami Reiker.
Editor/sound designer was Steve Hamilton of Mad Mad Judy, New York. Ed Patrowicz and Chris Hedges of Nice Shoes, New York, served as online editor and colorist, respectively. Audio mixer was Glen Landrum of Lower East Side, New York. Type design was done by Donna Pittman and Mark Hensley of Los Angeles-based Pittman Hensley.
"Hose," "Plant" and "Chocolate" are slated to air in D.C. during the spring and summer. The second flight of three spots, including "Bathroom," will probably break later in the year.
