pitched laughter coming from behind the fence in front of a playground. The murmur of little girls whispering secrets. There’s something so sweet about the way children sound, look and interact that touches most adults’ hearts.
The creatives at both WestWayne, Atlanta, and GSD&M, Austin, Texas, knew this when they created some powerful public service announcements for, respectively, the Partnership for a Drug Free America (PDFA) and The American Cancer Society (ASC).
What makes the PDFA’s "Instructions/ Praise & Reward" and "Instructions/Involved" and The American Cancer Society’s "Live Healthy" stand apart from other, more in-your-face PSAs is the ease with which they rely on the pure innocence and impressionability of children without becoming heavy-handed.
"Live Healthy" starts with a cute redheaded girl of about three, looking for shells on the beach. The scene cuts to an image of her looking even more adorable, smiling with her tongue pressed against the top of her mouth, like little kids do when they look at an adult. Then the words "Anorexic at 13" are slowly revealed in supered text. As the spot continues, more children are featured, with similar text appearing on the screen. An older boy climbing a tree-he’ll have a heart attack at 43. A younger boy admiring his karate trophy will overdose on drugs at 22. And there are other images of kids acting like kids, each child destined to meet a horrible fate before the age of 50-except for the last child. He appears in a pool, with text reading, "Eight grandchildren at 63, [and] a pretty decent swimmer." A voiceover explains, "Children who learn to live healthy live longer. Make health education in our schools a priority."
The PSA was created by a GSD&M team that included Rich Terry, senior VP/group creative development (he has since left the shop to freelance), and Annette Simon, creative director/art director. "Live Healthy" was directed by Ray Dillman of bicoastal Gartner. "We gave them a little bit of direction and saw what they did with it," says Terry of the children. "They weren’t aware of the messages. We didn’t want them thinking too much. We wanted them to be real children doing the kinds of things real children do."
Shot during a shoot that GSD&M and Dillman were doing for a package of Fanny Mae spots, the ACS PSA was a complete team effort, according to Terry. "Fanny Mae graciously agreed to let us shoot before and after their shoots," he says. "Everybody [on the set] was really busy, but they gave so much of themselves to make it work. It was really amazing."
Terry says they were also lucky that Dillman was already on board. "The spot has a very good idea," he continues, "but I think it works so well because Ray is so good at what he does. He has an amazing ability to make actors and scenes look like they are really happening. He’s the best director I’ve ever worked with at directing people."
Dillman says he was happy to direct "Live Healthy." "They asked if I’d be interested in working on a [pro bono ad] for the American Cancer Society during the Fanny Mae shoot," explains Dillman. "I am a big supporter of causes for children, since I am the father of three kids myself."
To achieve the naturalness that comes across in the spot, Dillman says he wasn’t too concerned about finding actors, but rather well-adjusted kids who were confident, relaxed around others and just happy being kids. "Casting is where the lion’s share of the work is done," he explains. "I look for a gut feeling. I can tell when [children] walk in if they’ve done a million casting calls, because they’ve got the routine down-the perfect handshake and perfectly kept clothes. I know immediately that’s not the right kid for me. I’d much rather the kids come in being who they are, listen to what I have to say and give it a shot rather than be rehearsed."
Not one to yell or act abruptly on the set, Dillman says he treated the children much like he would have anyone else-by being honest. "More than anything else, I treat kids in a non-condescending way and let them know that there’s no pressure. I’ll sit on the floor with them to make them more comfortable, and I’ll also allow their parents to be right there with them, which helps when we start."
Dillman says he’s had parents come up to him and thank him for being nice to their children. "It’s like they expect their kids to be overworked and yelled at, and when that doesn’t happen, they are pleasantly surprised," he says.