With over 100 years experience in working with and for children, across 115 countries, Save the Children has witnessed, countless times, the importance of a single moment that can change the course of a child’s life. London-based independent advertising agency Don’t Panic brings this narrative to life, following the lives of three children as they progress, reconnect and arrive.
Screened across U.K. TV and social media, “Our Proudest Moments Are Theirs,” tells the story of three protagonists in moments of their own, all facilitated by Save the Children; a baby born in rural Liberia, a young Bangladeshi girl being reunited with her mother; and a nine year old boy going to school for the first time in a Syrian refugee camp.
The baby is born with the help of Save the Children trained midwife “Alice”; a story based in fact, inspired by the tale of Alice Sumo. Alice, “one of the world’s busiest midwives” who delivered her first baby in a street at gunpoint, in war-torn Liberia. Over the last 28 years, Alice has delivered over 1,000 babies named after her; a whole community, with ages ranging from 30 years to a few weeks old. Alice is portrayed by an actress who, like the real Alice, travels on a motorbike to a rural community to help Lucy through her labor. This story is framed by two others; Ali, a young refugee who attends school run by Save the Children for the first time in a Syrian camp and learns to write his name. And, Milli who is reunited with her mother in Bangladesh, as part of a Save the Children reunification program, after having been separated for a year.
George McCallum, creative director, Don’t Panic, said, “We want people to see Save the Children for what it is–a collaborator–offering tailored, compassionate and impactful support, regardless of where it might be needed. The organization doesn’t just ride in when disaster strikes. It is there for all the moments, big and small. For this campaign we focused on those moments; things that change the course of children’s lives.”
Marcus Söderlund via production house Academy directed this hero film. Söderlund said, “We used a naturalistic mise-en-scène to closely mirror the real world, while remaining true to the authentic emotions and the actual narratives in these real-life stories. I loved the freedom during this process and the opportunity to explore complex human emotions and social situations. Working closely with Don’t Panic and Save the Children was a great collaboration.”
