It’s that time of year when Back-to-School campaigns flood commercial breaks with “essential” products like backpacks and stationary. But as students return to school this month, they also return to the threat of school shootings. In 2019, Sandy Hook Promise believes there’s only one essential you need to survive the school year-–learning the warning signs of a potential shooter.
Following one of the deadliest years on record for school violence, Sandy Hook Promise is launching this public education campaign. The centerpiece is a film, “Back-to-School Essentials,” a powerful and impactful video that highlights the anxiety and fear students face in the reality of school shootings.
Directed by Henry-Alex Rubin of Smuggler for BBDO New York, the new PSA video starts off as a familiar back-to-school ad but slowly unfolds to highlight students using everyday back-to-school items to survive a shooting, shedding light on the gruesome reality that students face.
This year’s campaign is the sixth since the inception of Sandy Hook Promise. Prior years’ campaigns, such as “Evan” and “Point of View,” have not only been successful in getting more than 7.5 million people trained in Sandy Hook Promise’s lifesaving Know the Signs programs, but have been awarded some of the advertising industry’s highest honors, such as Gold Lions, Clios and Webby Awards. In fact, “Point of View” was nominated for this year’s primetime commercial Emmy Award.
Credits
Client Sandy Hook Promise Agency BBDO New York David Lubars, chief creative officer, worldwide; Greg Hahn, chief creative officer, NY; Peter Alsante, SVP, sr. creative director; Bianca Guimaraes, VP, creative director; Jim Connolly, Gary Toit, associate creative directors/copywriters; Lance Vining, associate creative director/art director; David Rolfe, director of integrated production; Alex Gianni, VP, group executive producer; Molly Ross, associate producer; Julia Millison, music producer; Michael Schonfeld, brand strategist. Production Smuggler Henry-Alex Rubin, director; Drew Santarsiero, exec producer; Patrick Milling-Smith, Brian Carmody, co-founders; Lead Allina, line producer; Autumn Durald Arkapaw, DP. Editorial NO6 Edit Jason Macdonald, editor; Corina Dennison, managing director; Laura Molinaro, sr. producer; Renn Cheale, assistant editor. Color Company 3 Tim Masick, colorist; Alexandra Lubrano, producer. Conform/VFX/Finishing NO6 Edit Ed Skupeen, conform artist; Mark Reyes, Flame assist. Graphic Design NO6 Edit David Gerber, GFX; Laura Molinaro, producer. Music JSM Joel Simon, CEO/CCO, composer; Jeff Fiorello, exec producer; Jason Krebs, composer; Norm Felker, Andrew Manning, producers; Nathan Kil, sound designer. Audio Mix Heard City Jeremy Siegel, Keith Reynaud, Evan Mangiamele, Elizabeth McClanahan, engineers; Gloria Pitagorsky, managing partner; Jackie James, Sasha Awn, exec producers; Andi Lewis, producer; Evan Mangiamele, Jeremy Siegel, Keith Reynaud, sound designers; Tom Morris, Seth Brogdon, Evan Anderson, Ronnie Stapleton, assistant audio engineers. Casting Doreen Frumkin
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
