176 The Best Digital Marketing Campaigns in the World
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Barnardo’s decided to launch the campaign in two separate phases. For the
first phase they created a viral film called ‘Hunting’, a short piece that was
seeded online. The film took real comments about children left by readers on
newspaper websites and put them into the mouths of suburbanite adults with
shotguns as they stalked their prey: the children. The idea behind the film was
to attack the notion that discrimination against children is somehow accepta-
ble. By targeting the key media and opinion leaders the team fostered a
growing debate around the topics raised by the film.The second phase of the campaign was designed to build on the discussion
generated by the first phase, and to cast Barnardo’s in the role of providing a
solution to the problem of problematic children: that they could – and should- be helped rather than vilified. With this in mind, the team created a series of
films (Jail / Break the Cycle / What We Hear) which start by confirming the
stereotype of a troubled child, complete with aggressive and violent behav-
iour. As the films develop, viewers are slowly shown the other side to the
same child: the side characterized by painful vulnerability. The intention was
to expose the tension between these two different sides in order to force
viewers to stop thinking in absolutes and start seeing troubled teens as chil-
dren in dire need of support.
The interactive format of the films intensifies engagement: with a click of
their mouse the online audience can switch between the two sides – listen to
what an aggressive girl is really saying, lend their support to a troubled young-
offender, step in and break a young girl’s cycle of abuse. The interactive digital
films ran as full-screen HD ads – a first for this medium, creating huge impact
in the online environment.The campaign aimed to raise a debate in wider society and show how, even
after others have given up, Barnardo’s still believes in the most troubled
children.