Creative Director's Choice: The BAM Connection's Rob Baiocco admires a Save the Children spot
Creative Director’s Choice gives creative directors a chance to highlight the current work they think is the best out in the ad world – the ads and campaigns they believe are making a difference. Each week, The Drum features the words of a creative director or other top creative on the work they find funny, powerful or otherwise engaging.
Rob Baiocco, CCO at BAM
This week, The BAM Connection's Rob Baiocco talks about the Save the Children spot by Adam&EveDDB, which uses quick cuts of all the things the organization does to help children around the world.
Save the Children. Who wouldn’t want to do that, right?
But it’s hard to get people to do that. Really hard. Not because they don’t want to, but because they’re also being asked to save the whales, save the trees, stop the violence, feed the homeless, protect the climate, stand up to cancer, recycle, don’t text and drive. You get my point. Plus, we now have every brand in the world getting in on the social responsibility movement.
It’s uncomfortable to say, but we live in a world of competing sorrows, and while they’re all worthy causes, the truth is, it’s overwhelming.
All the more reason the Save the Children spot currently running by Adam&EveDDB is brilliant in its ability to cut through.
It’s a simple approach: let the story tell the story. Travel with Save-the-Children team, watch them work, hear the sounds they hear (stellar sound design) and see all the children they help. No need for words. No need for hype. The story and craftsmanship speak for themselves. This spot has biting teeth, so it doesn’t need flapping lips.
I’ve been a member of the Ad Council Creative Review Committee for over 10 years. I’ve seen tons of cause work, much of it extraordinary. This one is right up there. Not only does it have the stopping power, but the critical ability to motivate. We cannot give to every cause that solicits us. We must thoughtfully choose. What is the tie-breaker? One of them is certainly when a cause expresses itself in a more poignant and powerful way than others. For me, this spot does that. So, I gave it my highest compliment, a donation.
I particularly love the last shot. You feel their drive (literally), and sense their mission…'Help us reach every last child.' Okay. I can do that.
But of all the reasons I love this spot, perhaps number one is it harnesses the power and talents of advertising (yes advertising) to do something great, but in this instance, it’s greatness through the eyes of goodness. The best kind.
Rob Baiocco is co-founder and chief creative officer at the BAM Connection in New York.
To see the latest creative ads and campaigns, please visit The Drum’s Creative Works section. If you or your creative director would like to be featured in our Creative Director’s Choice, please contact Kyle O’Brien at kyle.obrien@thedrum.com.
