Childline’s new ad Nobody is Normal has been created in response to the thousands of young people who turn to the charity with fears that they don’t fit in. It is released at a time when mental health crises among young people have become especially prominent due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“At Childline, we often hear from young people who feel like they are different,” said the charity’s marketing lead Grania Hyde-Smith. “This can be for a number of reasons including bullying, abuse and mental health issues but sometimes, young people just don’t feel comfortable in their own skin.”

Created by marketing agency The Gate and brought to life in stop motion by Blink Productions and Rowdy Films, the spot follows a young person battling to keep an inner creature hidden beneath a ‘human’ disguise to the tune of Radiohead’s Creep.

The Gate CCO Lucas Peon described Nobody is Normal as “a campaign that speaks to children in a way that is natural to them,” adding that “we needed an emotional story that intrigued people enough to pay attention and moved them enough to make them reflect and change their perspective”.

Credits:
Agency: The Gate
CCO: Lucas Peon
Creatives: John Osborne, Rickie Marsden, Sam Whatley
Production company: Rowdy, Blink
Director: Catherine Prowse