Part of the National Safety Council’s “Stop Everyday Killers” campaign out of Energy BBDO in Chicago, this piece titled “Avi's Story” shows a father, Avi, remembering Michael, his son who died of an opioid overdose.
As part of this remembrance, we see a human face representing Michael carved into a pill. This pill is placed with other “face pills” on a “Prescribed to Death” memorial paying tribute to the victims of the Opioid crisis. The wall consists of 22,000 such pills–the number of people who die in the U.S. each year due to a prescription opiod overdose.
Tucker Walsh of m ss ng p eces directed “Avi's Story.
Credits
Client National Safety Council Agency Energy BBDO, Chicago Andres Ordonez, chief creative officer; Cinzia Crociani, Meg Farquhar, Michael Shirley, Alejandro Juli, creative directors; Dane Canada, art director; Brynna Alyward, copywriter; Hung Vinh, lead designer; Jaehyuk Choi, Erin Knott, Ramiro Silva, designers; Matt Scoville, executive producer; Shobin Mathew, sr. producer; Mitch Monzon, studio operations; Daniel Kuypers, music producer; Blue Smith, project manager; Larry Gies, chief strategy officer. Production m ss ng p eces Tucker Walsh, director. Editorial Flare Casey Cobler, editor; Kendall Fash, director of postproduction; Srah Krohn, sound engineer. Color/Finishing The Mill Luke Morison, head of color; Sean Jamin Clutcher, artist; Natalie Ksiazek, producer.
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
