In several slice-of-life vignettes, a daughter lashes out repeatedly at her foster mom. This verbal onslaught would hardly seem the stuff of which a foster parent recruitment campaign is made, but this realistic look at the challenges—and the rewards—of foster parenting makes a moving case for becoming part of the child-rearing solution.
We open on a teenage girl in her bedroom. She confronts her foster mother: "I hate you. You’re not my real mom." However, a subtitle translates what the daughter really feels. It reads, "My real mom left me."
Next, in the home’s hallway, the girl says to her foster mom, "You know what, just leave me alone. I don’t need you." The accompanying subtitle reads, "I’m scared to let you in." A voiceover then explains, "Children in foster care aren’t always able to tell you how they really feel."
The spot then takes us to the laundry room of the house. "I won’t do it. You can’t make me," yells the daughter. A subtitle reads, "I’m desperate for your attention." The voiceover again intervenes: "But if you make the commitment, invest the time and let them know you care…"
We are then in the kitchen, where the girl approaches her foster mom and says, "I love you." The subtitle also reads, "I love you."
"The rewards can be immeasurable," the voiceover concludes. The spot is tagged with the Utah Foster Care Foundation logo, a slogan—"Strengthen a family. Become a foster parent"—and a toll-free phone number (1-877-505-KIDS).
Titled "Translation," this public service commercial is part of a campaign directed by Greg Kiefer of Cosmic Pictures, Salt Lake City, for agency boede&partners, Salt Lake City. Kiefer maintains Cosmic to produce projects for the local Utah market. He is repped nationally by Santa Monica-headquartered production house Thomas Winter Cooke.
Rick McFarland was executive producer and line producer for Cosmic. The DP was Tahlee Booher.
The boede&partners’ creative team consisted of chief creative officer Ted Tsandes, creative director/copywriter Chip Self, creative director/art director John Kiechle and producer Steve Rutherford.
Lori Steele, managing partner at boede&partners, said the spot concept was developed out of focus group discussions with foster families who shared experiences described as sometimes difficult but always gratifying. This latest campaign marks the third year of pro bono work by boede&partners on behalf of the Utah Foster Care Foundation. This campaign—which also includes the spot "Why?" in which people explain why they became foster parents—will be made available to other states to use in their recruitment efforts. The ads were designed to help increase awareness of the tremendous need for foster families.
The Utah Foster Care Foundation is a nonprofit organization that serves Utah’s children by finding, educating and nurturing families to meet the needs of kids in foster care. Dallis Pierson, president of the organization, related, "There is a consistent and ongoing need for foster families. Our community depends on foster parents to do the day-to-day parenting for children affected by abuse or neglect until they can return safely to their own homes. Many foster families make a permanent commitment and adopt a child who cannot return to their own families."
"Translation" was edited by Marty Patch via Cosmic. Colorist was Omar Pho of The Filmworkers Club, Dallas. Audio post mixer was Palmer Patterson of Palmersound, Salt Lake City.
