Ad agency Signal Theory collaborated with creative studio SixTwentySix and director/editor Evan Bourque on a campaign for the American Pecan Promotion Board. Together, they crafted three spots designed to reach target audiences across generations. Each spot features a touch of humor to engage viewers, from a dad’s bond with nature in “Squirrel Bro” to a Gen-Z teaching moment in “Proper Granny” and a shopper’s fantastical dream in “The Other Half.”
In this “Squirrel Bro” spot, a father is enjoying his pecans while wondering why a squirrel he observes is hiding the treats. We then see a parallel between squirrel and dad when his daughter comes home, prompting him to put his pecans out of plain view.
Credits
Client American Pecan Promotion Board Agency Signal Theory Joe Wilper, creative director; Nick Kinney, associate creative director; Brent Davidson, group creative director; John January, co-CEO; Lauren Langfitt, executive producer. Creative Studio SixTwentySix Evan Bourque, director/editor; Austin Barbera, partner/exec producer; Jake Krask, partner/managing director; Jonny Edwards, head of production/exec producer; Cole Sanchez, line producer. Joaquin Villalobos, post producer. Audio Evolution Audio John Blank, audio engineer.
Continuing their partnership to combat the mental health crisis among America’s youth, the Ad Council and McCann New York have released the latest installment of the “Sound It Out” campaign which focuses on helping parents and caregivers have meaningful conversations with their kids about emotional wellbeing.
The new work, “Listening is a Form of Love,” focuses on the important role parents and caregivers play in supporting young people’s emotional wellbeing and is supported by new data from Surgo Health’s Youth Mental Health Tracker. The survey highlights that: 55% of youth (ages 10-24) report mental health struggles; and one in five youth report symptoms of depression, and one in four report symptoms of anxiety.
The film includes an interactive digital experience that invites parents to practice “holding space” by pressing the space bar to listen to kids sharing what they wish their parents could hear, in their own words. Along with this literal interpretation of the active listening the campaign encourages, the website also gives valuable tools to help parents and caregivers be better listeners, and in turn, better support their kids.
There is also this 60-second PSA--directed by Alex Fischman Cardenas via Greenpoint Pictures--which underscores the power and importance of listening to your loved ones.
