World Vision Canada works in partnership with the UN World Food Programme to try and eradicate childhood hunger, feeding 2.8 million people every year.

To articulate this work in a new ad campaign, the charity decided to focus on the well-known outcome of eating a good meal: the burp. Featuring a wide array of belches – and the humour that they provoke – the spot stands in contrast to the sombre tone normally employed by charity brands at this time of year. According to the agency, all the burps featured in the ad were real.

The creative approach is based on the insight that kids can’t be kids when they’re hungry, and World Vision’s efforts are letting them recapture a small but ultimately life-affirming part of childhood.

“The burp is a universal language, and we liked taking something that can sometimes be frowned upon and turning it into a moment of triumph,” says BHLA creative director Marty Hoefkes. “The burp is inherently funny to kids, and World Vision Canada is helping children around the world to be childish in a way many of us take for granted.”

Credits:
Agency: Broken Heart Love Affair
Creative Directors: Mike Morelli, Marty Hoefkes
Production Company: Holiday Films
Director: TAO/S