Malak and the Boat, an animated short for UNICEF from agency 180LA, shows the plight of Syrian refugees, transitioning to live action to show that the tale of a seven-year-old girl named Malak has roots in real life.
House of Colors served as the animation studio.
Client UNICEF Agency 180LA William Gelner, chief creative officer; Stephen Larkin, chief marketing officer; Rafael Rizuto, Eduardo Marques, executive creative officers; Dave Cuccinello, David Povill, creative directors; Natasha Wellesley, director of integrated production; Jason Lau, art and content producerโ; Florian Bodet, Irene Luevano, Bethlehem Herhane, translators. Animation House of Colors, Los Angeles Adhemas Batista, designer/character/storyboards/concept art; Andrรฉ Holzmeister, director and script, CGI, visual direction, character; Jonathan Marshall, character/concept art/storyboards; Ricardo Almeida, Guilherme Neder, animatic; Luiz Abud, project manager; Rodrigo Henrique, render wrangler (Rendering sponsored by RebusFarm GmbH/Reederservice. Editorial Melvin Editorial Dave Groseclose, editor; Brian Scharwath, postproduction manager. Sound Design/Music Hefty Audio Edu Luke, Elisa Gatti, sound design/music
Toolbox: 3D Studio Max, After Effects, Corona Renderer, Zbrush, Rebusfarm)
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 filmโs 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 childโs 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 โ Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the โBullying-Free Schoolsโ program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
โResearch indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
