The consequences of ignoring symptoms and/or health concerns are underscored in this client-direct PSA for male cancer awareness charity One For The Boys directed by Sam Huntley of Iconoclast, London.
With a voiceover by Samuel L. Jackson, this piece titled “The Difference” shows how a negative outcome can be averted when men seek out support and medical expertise. More than 85,000 men die of cancer in the U.K. every year and one in four are not diagnosed until symptoms are advanced.
Client One For The Boys Production Iconoclast Sam Huntley, director; Anna Smith, exec produer; Luke Plaister, producer; Suzie Fownes, production assistant; Bailey Marks, first A.D.; James Blann, DP; Gillian O’Brien, production designer. Editorial Marshall Street Editors Patric Ryan, editor; Melissa Geczy, editor’s assistant; Katie Truelove, offline producer. Postproduction Gramercy Park Studios Ben Rogers, colorist; Kit Lawson, post producer. Audio Factory Phil Bolland, sound designer/mixer. Music SIREN Jon Clarke, composer; Sian Rogers, music producer/supervisor; Sean Atherton, music exec producer. Voiceover Samuel L. Jackson
When dozens of Klick Health team members said they wouldn’t be able to hug loved ones over the festive season, the agency turned to AI and other magic to orchestrate a series of sentimental, surprise reunions captured in its “Holiday Hugs” video. The heartwarming four-minute video, benefitting the D.C.-based Foundation for Social Connection (F4SC), parallels recent findings from a Maru/Blue Public Opinion survey commissioned by Klick. The poll found 74 percent of Americans and Canadians won’t be able to hug at least one person they wish they could over the holidays. And like those in the video, survey participants cited geographical distance and loved ones having passed away as the leading factors preventing their hugs. “I just wish I could really squeeze her right now,” says teary-eyed New York Klickster Kari Bocassi watching her AI-generated hug with her sister Marlene, moments before she bursts onto the set for a long in-person embrace. The siblings have spent the past 14 years caring for their mother since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but haven’t been together for the holidays since Marlene moved to Virginia. Similarly, Toronto’s Fred Duarte gets the bear hug of his life when his brother Rico, who lives in Brazil, walks into Klick’s production studio for their first holiday reunion in seven years. Directed by James Cooper via Cooper Films, “Holiday Hugs” also taps into the fact that hugs don’t just make people feel better emotionally, they also have numerous health benefits. According to the National Institutes of Health, hugs can lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. “There’s nothing quite like the warmth and reassurance of a heartfelt hug,” said Klick’s chief creative officer Rich Levy. “With ‘Holiday... Read More
