Eighty-eight percent of child drownings occur with at least one adult present, and 50 percent of children drown within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. Why? Because drowning doesn’t actually look like drowning. It is fast, silent and can happen in as little as 30 seconds.
Child drownings carry a negative stigma, because many think that only “bad parents” lose a child to drowning, but this tragedy is the leading cause of death in 1-4 year-olds, and although there’s been an 11.5% increase in drownings nationally since 2021, it’s completely preventable.
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) and creative partner Doner have joined forces to create a national PSA to raise awareness of drowning and educate caregivers and parents about drowning prevention.
This “Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning” PSA depicts similar summer days by the pool, both quiet and calm. But each video ultimately reveals that drowning doesn’t really look like drowning, with no splashing, waving or yelling to indicate that something is wrong.
Viewers are directed to DrowningDoesntLookLikeDrowning.com, which shares key facts about drowning and urges use of the NDPA’s five layers of drowning protection.
Detroit-based agency Doner donated its time and creativity to bring the important campaign to life.
“As an agency where many of our employees have young children, we were shocked by the statistics around child drownings and felt compelled to use our creativity to inspire this conversation and promote safety training. Child drowning is a preventable problem, yet an increasing one. And education needs to be done around drowning prevention because so often it happens while parents are close and unaware. Our mission with this PSA is to reach millions of parents with the hope of saving lives this summer,” said Colin Jeffery, chief creative officer, Doner
The public service campaign and website now live ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25.
CreditsClient National Drowning Prevention Alliance Agency Doner Detroit Colin Jeffery, chief creative officer; Justin Bilicki, executive creative director; Jeff Beck, group creative director; Kris Kaczor, DP & editor; Jennie Hochthanner, SVP, integrated producer. Color Lez Rudge, colorist. Sound Design Sami Jano, sound designer; Dan Verlinde, audio engineer/mixer. Postproduction Scott Bakkila, finishing editor
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