CHILDHOOD HERO APPEAL: BE A SUPERHERO

The Australian Childhood Foundation, via Clemenger BBDO Melbourne has put to air a tvc as part of a pro bono campaign to fight child abuse.
Clems group CD Emma Hill explains the rationale: "A donation appeal for child abuse is an incredibly difficult subject for an agency and a client.
How do you best tell the story?
Do you tell the absolute truth and shock people? It’s a powerful direction, but people seem to be almost immune to this now.
Do you make them laugh, use humour or fantasy, and really “like” your charity, then in turn, make them want to donate?
But then again, this isn’t a subject we felt comfortable treating lightly. It’s way too delicate.
So, we found ourselves somewhere in the middle.
Reality and fantasy.
What we set out to show was a terrifying situation. A situation that an abused child may regularly find themselves in, but we wanted to give it a very different twist.
We gave the child the power to stop the abuse.
A five year old with the super power to stop an adult entering his room at night.
It’s an impossible scenario.
But from that impossibility comes the power.
What if this could happen? What if you could help a child to have power like this?
We explain to the viewer that they can help, by donating. It’s an awesome message.
Add to that an incredible track, which we were honoured to have approved by Universal Music, The Cash Family Estate, producer Rick Rubin, and Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails – and we think this spot is thought provoking, powerful, and something we’re very proud of.
If we can help raise awareness and money, to protect and council these children, we have succeeded.
We hope you think so too."


CREDITS:
Title: Superhero
Client: Australian Childhood Foundation
National Marketing Manager - Ruth Lancaster
Agency: Clemenger BBDO
Emma Hill - Creative Director
Cameron Hoelter - Associate Creative Director
Sevda Cemo - Agency Producer
Jonathon Isaacs - Account Service
Production Company: Exit Films
Mark Molloy - Director
Wilf Sweetland - Producer
Bob Humphries - DoP
Rohan Zerna - Editor
Post Production: digitalpictures
Martin Greer - Colourist
Eugene Richards - Online Editor
Kirsten Cortizo - Producer
Music Placement Agency: Level Two Music
Karl Richter - Music Director
Music Track
Johnny Cash's version of Trent Reznor’s ‘Hurt’ released by American Recordings. Master through Universal Music / Publishing - Mushroom.
The Cash Estate, Rick Rubin, Trent Reznor, Universal Music & Mushroom Publishing.
Risk Sound
James Ashton - Sound Engineer
Kath Momsen - Producer
Soundfirm
Chris Goods – Sound Engineer
Clare Carmody – Producer

Special thanks to all of the talented people that contributed to this pro bono job, particularly Mark Molloy (Exit - Director) and Wilf Sweetland (Exit - Producer) for their tireless efforts in making this an extremely powerful piece.
Level Two music with their help in obtaining the track and Eugene Richards for beautifully finishing in the HD Smoke Suite at digitalpictures.