The NSPCC has recruited Sex Education actress T’Nia Miller to star in its latest campaign film that lays bare the deep emotional realities of parenting.
In the 60-second clip we see Miller recite a poem by Darren Smith that catalogues the key moments and vivid emotions that a parent experiences as their child grows to adulthood.
Opening with the words “Cracked nipples and cabbage leaves/Can’t laugh without peeing/You don’t get instructions for new human beings”, the poem explains how despite the endless difficulties faced by parents, the enduring love they feel for their children makes it all worthwhile.
The poignant creative was inspired by NSPCC research that indicates that as many as three quarters (75%) of UK parents with children under five feel anxious their about their child’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
“Parents and carers tell us that raising their families is becoming increasingly difficult. With a cost-of-living crisis, new online threats to children and increasing mental health concerns among young people, there are a rising number of challenges in childhood today,” NSPCC CEO, Sir Peter Wanless said.
“We know that parents can be a vital positive influence in young children’s lives. I hope that our advice will help provide easy to understand support and help parents feel less anxious as they navigate family life.
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Reflecting the increasing day-to-day challenges of raising children in a post-pandemic Britain still dealing with a cost-of-living crisis, close to six in ten (57%) parents told the charity that they felt that parenting was harder now than it was when they were growing up.
Directed by Sachini Imbuldeniya and Jo Wallace through Bandicoot and animated by Martina Lang, the film will run across TV, social media, cinema and digital. Media planning and buying was overseen by OMD.
Imbuldeniya added: “This ad is the antidote to the ‘perfect Instagram family’. It highlights the everyday scenarios and challenges that many face but rarely discuss, to show parents that they are not alone.
“We wanted to ensure that we took the viewer on an emotional journey with a pace that mirrored both the busyness and emptiness that parents can often feel at different stages of a child’s life. We also wanted the visuals to stand out from the usual charity ads of the past by taking on a more positive tone with vibrant colours, striking graphics and a whimsical soundtrack.
“The resulting ad gives parents something they can empathise with, at times even laugh about – and hopefully in turn feel more confident about reaching out to the NSPCC sooner and more often.”
