The Canadian Centre for Child Protection teamed up with advertising agency No Fixed Address to create this PSA, “The Horse,” which warns us about the dark and damaging threats that can harm children through their digital devices–particularly the ones in their very hands: the smartphone.
With it being Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the 60-second film serves as a powerful wakeup call to parents–and is a call to action for governments around the world to protect children from online predators and sexual violence by enacting legislative change.
“The Horse” was filmed in one continuous shot down a hallway, set in a home that could be yours or mine. The world was built by acclaimed Canadian director Meredith Hama-Brown who won the Fipresci Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival for her film Seagrass and overall film craftsmanship. The PSA opens with a warm and loving feel which turns as a deeply unsettling undertone takes hold–a reminder that phones have opened everyone’s door to online dangers, akin to the Trojan Horse in which predators successfully hid, infiltrated and destroyed what was once thought to be an impenetrable fortress.
“We set out to capture the scenario that keeps every parent up at night,” said Alexis Bronstorph, chief creative officer at No Fixed Address. “And ‘The Horse’ is a chilling reminder that it’s real and it’s happening.”
CreditsClient Canadian Centre for Child Protection Agency No Fixed Address Inc. Alexis Bronstorph, Kelsey Horne; Allegra Wiesenfeld, sr. copywriter; Reid Plaxton, sr. art director; Cherie O’Connor, VP broadcast production; Spencer J. Houghton, producer. Production Services Provider Animals TV Meredith Hama-Brown, director; Norm Li, DP; Zosia Mackenzie, production designer; Chris Hutsul, Miriana DiQuinzio, exec producers; Liam Benstead, head of production Gillian Marr, sr. producer. Offline Editorial Saints Editorial Ross Birchall, editor; Phoebe Lorimer, assistant editor; Tory Osler, exec producer. Transfer/Online Darling VFX Patrick Samaniego, colorist; Eric Kinsbury, color assistant; Alyssa Schmidt, online artist; Morgan Campbell, exec producer; Will Culverwell, producer. Audio Berkeley Inc. Tyna Maerzke, exec producer; Jared Kuemper, cretive director. Music Song: “Chukhung” by Biosphere
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