Barnardo's: Believe In Me

The second of Barnardo's 'Believe In Me' awareness-raising adverts launches today, highlighting the issue of child sexual abuse. The advert is designed to shine a spotlight on Barnardo's tireless work; every year they support thousands of children and young people who have been sexually abused and exploited. This crucial work wouldn't be possible without the support of the public. The advert, created by FCB Inferno, which focuses on Barnardo's specialist support for young people affected by sexual abuse or exploitation, will air for the first time tonight. It shows a young girl looking nervous and ill at ease in a masculine-looking bedroom. As she sits on the bed, a computer-generated Komodo dragon emerges from the bathroom and makes a slow and terrifying advance towards her. Through the advert the audience is shown that she is the subject of online grooming; whose abuser coerces or manipulates her into a sexual relationship that she feels powerless to escape from. The komodo dragon represents the feelings of abuse the young girl has suffered. Using an animal as a metaphor keeps the focus on the child at the heart of the story and allows the audience to connect with the feelings she is experiencing. It also allowed us to avoid depicting an abuser in a particular way; adults who sexually abuse children come from all walks of life. The powerful and indifferent way the dragon moves in the film is a reflection of how helpless and vulnerable she is; it helps to give a singular focus to her story and experience. At the end of the 40 second commercial, it is revealed to us that the girl is recounting her story of abuse to a specialist Barnardo’s counsellor and she is receiving the support she needs to move forward positively with her future. Creative agency FCB Inferno created the films in partnership with production company Rogue Films, award-winning director Sam Brown, VFX experts The Mill, and sound studio Factory. It is the latest instalment in Barnardo’s ‘Believe In Me’ campaign, and was preceded by ‘Hyenas’ which aired last year.