Advertising aimed at kids has come under increasing scrutiny, and deservedly so. It’s also a genre to which a creative stigma has been attached over the years, perhaps not so deservedly. But this week’s entries in "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery (see pg. 15)—The Peace Council’s "Hole" from GSD&M, Austin, Texas, and the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children’s "School’s Out" via D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles/Detroit—showcase the power of advertising to be a progressive and positive advocate of kids’ rights.
Directed by Dennis Fagan, "Hole" makes an eloquent case for not only banning land mines but also for implementing a program to remove the existing ones. The spot offers the perspective of looking up from a hole in the ground to the world above. Initially, that view of the world is confined to some weeds and grass blades covering the edges of the dirt hole. But the sound of children playing is a tip-off of that hole’s potential danger.
The Peace Council is a nonprofit foundation consisting of advertising and business professionals. The organization’s purpose is to use advertising to help raise awareness about issues of social consequence. GSD&M senior VP/creative director Daniel Russ, who served as the writer on "Hole," recalled the genesis of The Peace Council. "We simply asked ourselves, ‘Why should we ask for permission to speak out?’" recalled Russ, referring to fellow agency senior VP/creative director Brent Ladd. "That’s why we teamed with others to form The Peace Council. We have a legitimate board without a political agenda. Personally, I skew to the left. But we also have conservative members, and we balance each other out. We try to target issues of importance."
Hitting that same target is D’Arcy Detroit with "School’s Out," directed by Cat Doran. The spot opens on an empty school. Posters of actual missing children appear in open lockers, in the hallways, on computer screens and on the backs of classroom desk chairs. Sarah McLachlan’s "I Will Remember You" is heard as the camera winds its way through a childless school.
The message is painfully clear. Every day, according to the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children, more than 2000 kids—a population equivalent to a school’s student body—is reported missing. Thankfully, many are found, due to tips provided by people who recognized some of the children’s faces on National Center postcards, posters and on its Web site.
"We’ve been involved with the National Center for nearly fifteen years, providing marketing help and creating advertising to build awareness of the problem," said D’Arcy Detroit managing director Patrick Sherwood, who added that the agency wants this awareness to translate into definitive action, with people taking a moment to pay attention to photos of missing kids.
Will Perry, creative director at D’Arcy Detroit, noted: "It’s staggering to think of the human impact of missing children, of the effect the disappearances have on the lives of so many families." As reported by SHOOT’s Millie Takaki, Perry observed, "If this work leads to the return of just one missing child, the effort will have been worth it. What we hope the work will do is encourage people to heed the call to action: Look at the pictures. Remember the faces. Find the kids."
