Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson (aka Dan & Jason) of animation studio Hornet directed this PSA for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), Britain’s leading children’s charity fighting to end child abuse. It’s one of two cautionary spots in a new campaign from Leo Burnett London that tells two different stories of how social media can influence and affect children, and unfortunately, how it can sometimes harm them.
The first video released in the U.K., “I saw your Willy,” tells the story of a young boy whose private image quickly goes viral.
“When we grew up, there was no Internet. Information travels so quickly today,” said Abdo. “Our hero does something seemingly harmless, but then it escalates and all the sudden he’s in over his head. Things like that happen to kids all the time, and it was nice for us to be able to explore that narrative in this project.”
Credits
Client National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) Agency Leo Burnett London Abby Jenkins, Bruce Macrae, producers; Liam Bushby, Alison Steven, creatives; Beri Cheetham, crative director; Justin Tindall, executive creative director. Production Hornet Dan & Jason (Dan Abdo, Jason Patterson), directors; Jan Stebbins, exec producer; Cathy Kwan, producer; Kristin Labriola, development producer; Anito Chao, editor; Carlos Ancalmo, storyboar artist; Adrian Johnson, lead character designer; Anna Bron, designer; Mike Luzzi, animation director; Angela DeVito, Jacob Kafka, Keelmy Carlo, Krystal Downs, Mike Luzzi, Mark Pecoraro, Natalie Labarre, Nivedita Sekar, Sean Lattrell, animators; Ted Wiggin, lead compositor; Richard Kim, Stephanie Andreou, compositors.
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
