Every year on May 4th and 5th, the Dutch reflect on World War II.
May 4th is remembrance day for the victims of this devastating war. On May 5th the liberation from the German occupation is reflected upon and celebrated.
Although it’s been nearly 70 years since World War II ended, there are many elderly people who still struggle with their experiences and memories of their childhood during that period—issues they had to deal with during the war between 1940 and 1945, and which have carried on over the decades to today. In those early years there was no organization like the nonprofit War Child to help the children. They were leff to their own devices.
On May 4th, War Child has made a tradition of rolling out a public service announcement in which someone who was a child in World War II finally shares his story after all those years. The person looks back on the consequences the unresolved issues have had on his or her life.
Now we hear from Jan who shares his story for the very first time in his life in this commercial. He knows better than anyone what horrible psychological effects and consequences a war can have on a child’s life.
We see a young child speak words which are in Jan’s now adult voice. He recalls when he was five years old—while playing in the street—seeing Nazis taking children, the elderly and disabled people and brutally throwing them into a truck—bodies piled on top of each other. They were all being taken to concentration camps. We hear Jan’s voice—as mouthed by a child—tell of the images that he can never forget.
Then messages appear on screen which read, “Don’t let this story become his story”/”Help us take the war out of a child.”
The camera then takes us to an elderly Jan today, teary eyed over the memories of his childhood. His decision to finally openly share these painful recollections serves as a catharsis of sorts.
The War Child logo appears along with a website address: warchildholland.org.
Learning from history
Every day there are children growing up in a country in war. Thanks to the psychosocial support of War Child they can share their experiences and receive help to better their future.
With public support and donations, War Child can help to make sure that Jan’s story will not become the story of today’s and tomorrow’s war children.
Bram Schouw of production company hazazaH directed this PSA, titled “Don’t Let This Story Become His Story,” for TBWA’s Dutch agency Doom&Dickson.
The Doom&Dickson team included creatives Dennis Baars and Erik Falke, creative directors Marcel Frensch and Rogier Mahieu, creative developers Joost van Middelaar and Sander van de Vlasakker, producers Hanneke Kampschreur and Sarah Giliam, and strategist Joey Duis.
