While the life insurance company Modern Woodmen was founded in 1883 around the fraternal pioneering spirit, the new “Campfire Stories” campaign from advertising agency Cronin honors the real pioneers of today–moms. Cronin tapped into the contrast of modern culture and old-school values to break through the clutter. The anthem spot, directed by O Positive’s Brian Billow, features iconic characters–Pioneer and Cookie–as companions to a busy, hard-working mom who’s the hero of the story.
This campaign is the brand’s first in over 140 years. Billow, who’s an alum of SHOOT’s 2008 New Directors Showcase, said, “I loved the scripts as soon as I saw them. It’s a smart idea visually juxtaposing the pioneering spirit of Modern Woodmen’s history with a modern woman’s busy life to make a point about life insurance in a fun and relatable way.”
CreditsClient Modern Woodmen Agency Cronin Lester Ayala, SVP/head of production; Paul Catanese, executive creative director/copywriter; Scott Kaplan, Josh Gold, copywriters; Vlad Ivangorodsky, Margot Belyea, art directors; Jodi Ciarleglio, producer. Production Company O Positive Brian Billow, director; Ralph Laucella, Marc Grill, exec producers; Adriana Cebada Mora, producer; Paul Cameron, DP; Kevin Bird, production designer; Laura Eckert, costume designer. Editorial MackCut Ryan Steele, editor; Gina Pagano, exec producer. Post/VFX Parliament Eric Mason, VFX supervisor; Lexi Stearn, exec producer. Color Company 3 Stefan Sonnenfeld, colorist. Music/Sound APM Music
NHS England, M&C Saatchi UK, Director Tom Tagholm Team On PSA Highlighting The Overlooked Signs Of A Stroke
National Health Service (NHS) England has unveiled a multichannel campaign, “Act FAST,” to raise awareness of the individual signs of a stroke and get people to call 999 as soon as they suspect they may be experiencing any one symptom. The push, which is part of the ongoing “Help Us, Help You” campaign, was developed in partnership with M&C Saatchi UK.
The campaign depicts everyday situations where everything might seem relatively normal, but where there’s the sign of someone experiencing a stroke.
A key component of the campaign is this :30--directed by Tom Tagholm of Various Films--which sets up the idea that initially, a stroke might not seem like much, highlighting key symptoms: from struggling to use a paint roller, to not being able to smile when watching TV, to slurring your speech when reading a story to your grandchild. The PSA emphasizes that time is critical, ending with the line: “Face or arm or speech, at the first sign, it’s time to call 999.”
Jo Bacon, Group CEO, M&C Saatchi UK, said, “We want to ensure people take action on the first symptom, rather than waiting for more conclusive signs. To help them understand that even when everything seems normal, something serious might be happening.”
Matt Lee, executive creative director, M&C Saatchi UK, commented: “This is important work. We wanted to explore that precise moment when your world shifts, quietly yet powerfully, off its axis during a stroke. We highlight how a tiny external moment can actually be seismic—an extraordinary gear change, framed in a really ordinary way.”
Director Tagholm shared, “My Dad suffered a stroke a few years ago and was saved from the worst by acting quickly, and by the work of the NHS. So there’s... Read More