Two-thirds of parents of children ages 6 and under say they have not had their child screened for autism. As we approach back-to-school season, Ad Council and Autism Speaks have released videos that serve as a reminder for parents to consider autism screening. The videos star Julia, a four-year-old Sesame Street Muppet with autism, and feature her adventures, showing audiences that the more her family and friends understand her world, the brighter she shines. Ultimately, the campaign helps parents understand the signs of autism and realize all the possibilities for children after a diagnosis.
BBDO New York and Sesame Street collaborated with Autism Speaks and the Ad Council on the campaign.
Credits
Client Autism Speaks/Ad Council Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Greg Hahn, chief creative officer, NY; Matt MacDonald, executive creative director; Kevin Mulroy, Rob Danino, creative directors; David Rolfe, head of production; Julie Collins group executive producer; Becky Burkhard, executive producer; Sarah Knowlton, producer. Celebrity Talent Acquisition Sesame Street Studios Production Sesame Workshop, NY Melissa Dino, supervising producer; Sal Perez, sr. producer; Ashmou Younge, producer; Ken Diego, director; Amanda Young, sr. production manager; Jeff Turick, DP. Editorial NO6, NY Justin Quagliata, editor; Corina Denison, exec producer; Malia Rose, Laura Molinaro, producers; Jasmine McCullough, assistant editor. Color Company 3, NY Tim Masick, colorist; Kevin Breheny, sr. producer. Finishing NO6 Ed Rilli, confirm artist; Corina Denison, exec producer; Laura Molinaro, producer. VFX Magnetic Dreams, Nashville, Tenn. Mike Halsey, president; Rickey Boyd, creative director; Randall Saba, producer; Rhea Borzak, compositing. Music Beacon Street Studios, Venice, Calif. Leslie Dilullo, exec producer. Audio Post Sonic Union Steve Rosen, engineer; Pat Sullivan, producer. Stock Music Asche & Spencer
After losing part of his right leg due to cancer, Terry Fox campaigned to raise national awareness and funding for cancer research by running his Marathon of Hope, a cross-Canada 42-km daily run, on his prosthetic leg. Fox, who died in 1981, is a national hero. His image will be on Canada’s new $5 bill.
In this two-minute video titled “Finish It,” the Marathon of Hope is recreated. It’s all done in one take, and it features an actor/marathon runner who uses a prosthesis on the same leg as Fox. CGI was deployed to make him look more like Fox. To further ensure the actor represented Fox accurately, not only did the actor and team watch and study many videos of Terry, but Terry’s brothers, Fred and Darrel, coached the actor on Terry’s running style and mannerisms. They also created a copy of Terry’s prosthesis for the actor to use for the shoot.
The message is clear. As the Marathon of Hope now marks its 45th anniversary, we now have the opportunity to “Finish It” for Fox, raising money and awareness to get a cure for cancer over the finish line, completing the work that Fox started. The public service film starts with Fox on the marathon run, eventually joined by a crowd of other dedicated runners from all walks of life who take over the race.
Mark Zibert directed via production company Scouts Honour for Toronto agency Diamond. The video features a never-before-heard version of the song “Courage” from Canadian band The Tragically Hip.
“We wanted to create a campaign that captures the magnitude of Terry Fox’s legacy while driving meaningful action,” said Peter Ignazi, chief creative officer at Diamond. “By revisiting the Marathon of Hope with such care and reverence, we aimed to reignite Terry’s mission and... Read More
