The Sooner You Believe It, The Sooner We Can End It."
That’s the slogan that appears near the end of each spot in a public service campaign addressing child hunger in the U.S. The four PSAs were directed by Joe Pytka of Venice, Calif.-based PYTKA, via Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), New York.
One of those ads, "Chicken Pox," is the lead entry in this week’s "The Best Work You May Never See" gallery (see p. 13). The PSA shows a young girl applying makeup to the chicken pox-marked face of her younger brother. He’s worried that he will get into trouble for concealing his condition. The sister then explains this curious scenario to us and to him, telling her sibling: "Just go to school so you can get some lunch. Then you can come home afterwards."
Supered over them is a sobering message, which reads, "1 out of every 5 children in the U.S. lives with hunger."
Almost as an afterthought, towards the end of the third annual International Heads of Production meeting in Cannes last month (6/21), featured speaker Pytka screened the campaign.
The work not only speaks simply and eloquently about a serious problem, but underscores the good that industry creatives can generate through collaboration. The screening also changed the tenor and tone of Pytka during an informal question-and-answer session, which was the centerpiece event at the gathering of agency production heads.
Prior to the screening, Pytka had been critical of certain aspects of the industry. He contended that there’s been a lack of breakthrough work in filmmaking and spots during the past 30 years. He claimed, for instance, that nothing has compared to some of the classic advertising of the 1960s, citing director Howard Zieff’s many renowned credits, including the Alka Seltzer "Spicy Meatballs" spot.
Pytka also bemoaned the ad industry’s decision to keep making commercials during the actors’ strike last year. He said that the unavailability of professional acting talent during that time equated to inferior product being produced. For that reason, Pytka declined to direct spots during the strike. In fact, BBH waited for the strike to end so that it could get Pytka for the Ad Council campaign.
But after the child hunger awareness spots were shown at the International Heads of Production session, Pytka’s observations took a positive turn. He related that the ad agency people he’s worked with consistently over the years are talented and creative, far brighter than what he’s encountered in the feature business. And he said it’s gratifying to see this ad talent come together to do more than just peddle product for a buck. "We can take on issues and do good with our powers of communication," noted Pytka, adding that of all the work he’s done in his career, he’s proudest of the Ad Council public service campaign.
But, continued Pytka, the key is to gain decent airtime for worthwhile work. "Running at three a.m. isn’t going to cut it," he stated.
Ken Yagoda, head of production at Young & Rubicam, New York, moderated the International Heads of Production meeting. The session—which brings together agency production heads from around the world during the Cannes International Advertising Festival—was initiated in ’99 by the New York Heads of Production. The International Heads of Production gathering was organized by Pamela Maythenyi of The Source.
The child hunger awareness campaign is being presented jointly by The Ad Council, domestic hunger-relief organization America’s Second Harvest, and the ConAgra Feeding Children Better Foundation. The spots are tagged by a toll-free number (1-800-Feedkids) and a Web site address (www.feedingchidrenbetter.org).
