Kids Company: Bed

AMV BBDO has created a powerful press campaign for their pro-bono partner Kids Company that aims to show people just how important their signature on the ‘See the Child’ petition will be.
This is the second phase of the national ‘See the Child. Change the System.’ campaign (which made headlines in the summer), which aims to drive the public to sign a petition to reform the child welfare system in the UK.
Reform of the system is necessary, because a significant number of children in the UK – an estimated 1.5 million of them - are suffering neglect and abuse every day. They cannot change their situation as they do not have a voice – they cannot vote and they cannot petition for change. The UK child welfare system is not adequately fulfilling its duty to protect the most vulnerable group in society, which is why public support is needed to drive a change.
The print campaign consists of three press ads, each depicting a disturbing example of abuse. In each case a pen acts as a barrier, protecting the children from harm, symbolising the importance of a signature to protect vulnerable children. Each ad shows an authentic example of the type of abuse that happens regularly in UK homes, as it was based on real-life case studies featured in the 2014 ‘Enough is Enough’ report from the Centre for Social Justice, about child protection and mental health services.
The first ad shows an intimidating man trying to get into a bedroom causing the frightened child to hide underneath the bed, the second shows a mother throwing an empty glass bottle at a child and the third shows a man lashing out at a child cowering in fear at the bottom of the stairs. In all three executions the pen is protecting the child from harm.