In this largely animation piece, a young man grows up ostracized for having one large hand. He lives a life of sadness and isolation until he meets another guy with the same physical characteristic.
They form a special bond and the animation turns to a live-action scene of two young men holding hands.
A message then appears on screen: “Being visible should never leave you feeling vulnerable.” It is followed by the slogan, “Everyone deserves to be in good hands” and the Allstate Insurance logo.
“Out Holding Hands” is part of Allstate’s outreach initiative to the LGBT community.
The short was directed by Holbrooks, a.k.a. Tom Brown and Daniel Gray, of Blacklist for Leo Burnett.
Credits
Client Allstate Agency Leo Burnett Susan Credle, chief creative officer; Charley Wickman, executive creative director; Sarah Block, Ed Odyniec, Christopher Warmanen, creative directors; Omari Miller, associate creative director; Zach Bonnan, copywriter; Todd King, designer; Veronica Puc, executive producer; Leah Karabenick, producer; Amrita Bhatia, sr. strategist; Chris Clark, sr. music producer. Production Blacklist Holbrooks (Tom Brown & Daniel Gray), directors; Adina Sales, exec producer; Alexander Unick, producer. Marika Cowan, Chris Carboni, Leland Goodman, animation; Andrew Zimbelman, Aaron Kemnitzer, compositing. Music Eli Lieb, recording artist; Pablo Mathiason, artist management.
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
