NSPCC - The $#*! Kids Say (2012)

 The NSPCC helpline is an important tool in the on-going battle to prevent cruelty to children. In 2012 the NSPCC spotted that over half of the people who contacted the helpline had waited for over a month to report their concern. Even more worryingly, one in five had waited over a year. A lot can happen in a month, and rather than sit back in silence, the NSPCC wanted to reduce this delay by encouraging people to call the helpline for advice, and in turn minimize the abuse a child might be suffering.

The NSPCC believe there are up to 1 million cases of unreported child abuse in the UK. Through data analysis and interviewing the dedicated workers at the NSPCC, we discovered that more than half the people who contact the NSPCC have been concerned about a child for more than a month. They wait to make sure they’re not overreacting. But waiting until something serious happens undermines the very aim of prevention. The campaign was simple: “It could be nothing, but it could be something. Don’t Wait Until You’re Certain to call the helpline.” 

31.4 seconds into the film before people realised something is amiss. 

We created a powerful online film leveraging the popular “shit people say” internet meme that was everywhere at the time. The film features kids saying the weird and wonderful stuff we love them for. However, these innocuous sayings soon blur into more sinister utterings: the kinds of things that might be masking abuse. The film was supported by a partnership with the online community Netmums and a social media campaign asking people to donate their Facebook status updates to spread the message.

Calls to the NSPCC increased by 16% in the first week of the campaign and the proportion of people waiting for more than one month decreased from 56% to 39%. 

By week 1, calls to the NSPCC’s helpline increased by 16%. By week 3, views of the film had reached 300,000 (target was 150,000). The campaign generated media coverage in France, Sweden and the US, along with more than 30 individual pieces of coverage here in the UK, where it has sparked passionate conversations on national TV, newspapers and radio.

Research shows that those who have been exposed to the campaign are 28% more likely to contact the NSPCC if they have concerns about a child’s safety than those who haven’t seen it.

Director — Amanda Boyle

Agency — Inferno

Production — Academy Films