Save the Children Shows What's Actually Involved in Saving Children

For Save the Children in the U.K., indie agency Don’t Panic released “Our Proudest Moments Are Theirs,” directed by Marcus Söderlund of Academy.

The hero video below was cut into two additional 30-second spots that zero in on a couple of the stories shown: The Liberian woman waiting for a midwife, and Ali in Syria, who learns to write his name thanks to a volunteer teacher in a refugee camp.

The midwife story is inspired by Alice Sumo, an actual Save the Children-trained midwife who delivered her first baby, at gunpoint, on the streets of Liberia. She’s since delivered over 1,000 babies in 28 years, and really did travel by motorbike to get to smaller villages.

A third segment in the hero video focuses on a Bangladeshi girl, Milli, who is reunited with her mother as part of a Save the Children reunification program. The group operates in over 100 countries, and focuses on ensuring safety, health and learning opportunities for kids.

“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,” says George McCallum, a creative director at Don’t Panic. The agency favors work with charitable organizations and purpose-led brands, like WaterAid and Greenpeace.

“The organization doesn’t just ride in when disaster strikes,” McCallum continues. “It is there for all the moments, big and small. For this campaign we focussed on those moments, things that change the course of children’s lives.”

The ad succeeds at showing that a crisis doesn’t end with the lightning-strike of the event. Tragedies are often ongoing, necessitating interventions for disruptions that could continue indefinitely. 

“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,” says Söderlund. “I loved the freedom during this process and the opportunity to explore complex human emotions and social situations.”

The work ends with its tagline: “Our proudest moments are theirs,” then elaborates on the scope of Save the Children’s mission: “Every minute. Every Day. All around the world.” The campaign went live last week on Channel 4, ITV and satellite and digital stations throughout the U.K.

CREDITS 

CAMPAIGN: “Our Proudest Moments Are Theirs” 
BRAND: Save The Children 
Brand Lead // Laura Solomon 
Creative Lead // Lucy Titterington 
Safeguarding lead & Photographer // Tom Maguire 
Head of Brand // Emma Cooke 
Director of Brand // Kate Hewitt 
Head of Creative Content and Stories // Ivy Lahon 
Senior Insight Manager // Maylis Rasmussen 
AGENCY // Don’t Panic @dontpanicldn 
Founder // Joe Wade 
Strategic Partner // Ellie Moore 
Strategist // Anna Petrescu 
Creative Partner // Rick Dodds 
Creative Director // George McCallum 
Creative // Katie Richardson 
Client Partner // Jane Marshall 
Head of Client Services // Georgia Williams 
Senior Account Manager // Harriet Alway 
Executive Producer // Jennifer Clare Houlihan 
Junior Producer // Ani Bosco 
PRODUCTION COMPANY // Academy 
Director // Marcus Söderlund 
Joint MD // Medb Riordan 
Executive Producer // Darapen Vongsa-Nga 
Producer // Kishan Patel 
Production Manager // Georgia McClure 
DOP // Daniel Takacs 
SERVICE PRODUCTION COMPANY // Ginger Ink 
Producer // Guy Wilson 
Production Manager // Tina Kabuthu 
1st AD // Isaya Evans 
Focus Puller/ DIT // Ishmael Azeli 
2nd AC // Anthony Kariuki 
DIT // Meshack Otieno 
Sound Recordist // Daniel Chu 
Art DIrector // Wanjiku Mbugua 
Art Assist #01 // Peter Ngunjiri
Locations Manager // Anthony Rimwah Unit Manager // Joyce Nyambura 
Makeup // Valerie Mdeizi 
Gaffer // Paul Atoni 
Light Assist // Victor Kamonde 
Genny Operator // Anthony Wachira Set Medic // Humphrey Wachira 
Casting DIrector // Isaya Evans 
Casting Assistant // Ivy Collette 
EDIT // Whitehouse Post 
Editor // Ben Canny 
Executive Producer // Annabel Bennett Producer // Ella Sedgwick 
Edit Assistant // Steven Waltham 
Edit Assistant // Thomas Sheriff 
POST // Rascal 
Executive Creative Director //Kalle Lundberg 2D Lead // John Thornton 
2D // Richard Mckeand 
Motion Graphics // Max Williams 
Colourist // James Bamford 
Sound Designer // Neil Johnson & Izaak Buffin Executive Producer // Matt Towell 
Producer // Stacia Akaba 
Colour Producer // Ben Spalding 
Sound Producer // Maddy Lebel 
Head of Production // James Beck 
SOUND // Rascal 
MUSIC: 
Score // Lisa Nordstöm 
Bangladesh // Linus Hasselberg 
Liberia // Linus Hasselberg 
Syria // Christian Olsson 
Cast Credits 
Bangladesh 
Milli // Navya Bhakhri 
STC Reunification Worker // Pritul Raithatha Mother // Aseem Sharma 
Liberia 
Midwife // Camelyne Imali 
Expectant mother // Lucy Sein 
Baby // Stephanie Sein 
Syria 
Ali // Hussein Ibrahim
Teacher // Sally Ashmauy