Sandy Hook Promise mental health PSAs say 'The Kids are Not Alright'
BBDO New York's latest ads from the gun violence awareness organization focus on the stresses driving young people toward violence and suicide
Editor's Pick
The pandemic has taken its toll on mental health of kids and teenagers—and parents need to know the warning signs, before something catastrophic happens.
That's the message of a new series of PSAs from Sandy Hook Promise and BBDO New York. Rather than graphically focusing on gun violence and school shootings, as in previous work such as 2019's "Back to school essentials" and 2016's "Evan," the new work takes a different tack. With a focus on prevention, it depicts, via a series of images and short vignettes, how a year of stress and trauma has given rise to various forms of youth violence, including suicide and self-harm as well as potential gun violence.
One spot, for example, is titled "How to make a homemade bomb" and chillingly shows how a combination of lockdown, isolation, canceled futures, social media and anxiety can lead a child to "detonate." Another spot compares kids' inner meltdowns and constantly being "plugged in" to overloaded circuits, while a third demonstrates how a child could perform a "disappearing act" as they detach from friends, family and school and ultimately, from their own head. All the spots, which were directed by Jakob Marky of Sweetshop, end with the tagline "The Kids Are Not Alright."
According to Sandy Hook Promise, more than 70% of teenagers are now struggling with mental health concerns in the wake of the pandemic, and one in four has considered suicide. The campaign aims to encourage parents to learn the signs of a child in distress and act before it's too late.
"Teenagers are in crisis right now and most people aren’t even aware of it. So we wanted to spark the conversation and raise awareness about the signs of distress and how Sandy Hook Promise can help these kids overcome them,” said Peter Alsante, senior creative director, BBDO New York in a statement.
The campaign debuted on ABC’s "Good Morning America" today (May 13) and will run on social and digital. PR efforts are being led by Dini von Mueffling Communications.
Credits
- Date
- May 13, 2021
- Client :
- Sandy Hook Promise
- Agency :
- BBDO-New York
- Chief Creative Officer Worldwide :
- David Lubars
- SVP Senior Creative Director :
- Peter Alsante
- Creative Director :
- Kara Goodrich
- Creative Director :
- Cesar Finamori
- SVP Group Executive Producer :
- Alex Gianni
- Producer :
- Tatiana Lanier
- Production Coordinator :
- Annie Hutchings
- Music Producer :
- Julia Millison
- Business Manager :
- Grace Kelly
- SVP Senior Director :
- Lindsey Cash
- VP Account Director :
- Ann Kim
- VP Planning Director :
- Ben Bass
- Planner :
- Kamillah Collins
- Production Company :
- Sweetshop
- Director :
- Jakob Marky
- Executive Producer :
- Jeff Miller
- Executive Producer :
- George Meeker
- Producer :
- Matt Zion-Basile
- Co-Production Company :
- Office of Development & Design
- Design Director :
- Gary Breslin
- Executive Producer :
- Matthew Turke
- Executive Producer :
- Tim Case
- Producer :
- Linden Carty
- Editorial Company :
- School Editing
- Circuit & Disappear Editor :
- Ben Canny
- Bomb Editor :
- Stacey Foster Jackson
- Co-Editor :
- Chelsea Smith
- Co-Editor :
- Taylor McWade
- Executive Producer Partner :
- Sarah Brooks
- Design & Animation :
- Office of Development & Design
- Creative Director :
- Gary Breslin
- Animator :
- Hayato Yamane
- Animator :
- Paul Todaro
- Finishing Company :
- Fort York
- Flame Artist :
- Melissa Vasiliev
- Flame Artist :
- Luke White
- Flame Artist :
- James Marin
- Producer :
- Armen Bunag
- Executive Producer :
- Erica Bourgault-Assaf
- Telecine Company :
- Alter Ego
- Senior Colorist :
- Conor Fisher
- Color Assistant :
- Daniel Saavedra
- Producer :
- Spencer Butt
- Senior Producer :
- Jane Garrah
- Mix / Sound Design Company :
- Sound Lounge
- Engineer / Sound Designer :
- Pete Crimi
- Engineer / Sound Designer :
- Justin Kooy
- Executive Producer :
- Susie Shuttlewroth
- Senior Producer :
- Lauren Mullen
- Casting Director :
- Alexa Magnotto
- Producer :
- Camila Dayson Aravena
- Production Coordinator :
- Matt Smith
- Footage Sourced & Licensed by :
- Stalkr.TV
- Producer :
- George Alvarez
- Researcher :
- Aaron Sharper
- Researcher :
- Jen Van Horn
- Researcher :
- Jeffrey Harland
- Researcher :
- Itzel Sarabia
- Researcher :
- Matt Gee
- Researcher :
- Nathalie Dortonne
- Researcher :
- Mike Kho
- Executive Producer :
- Colleen Cavanaugh Anthony
- Production Manager :
- Chelsea Van Arsdol
- Production Coordinator :
- Randall Collett
- Content Curation by :
- Catch&Release
- Additional Footage Sourced & Licensed by :
- Getty
- Additional Footage Sourced & Licensed by :
- Shutterstock
- Additional Footage Sourced & Licensed by :
- Film Supply
- Additional Footage Sourced & Licensed by :
- Dissolve
- Additional Footage Sourced & Licensed by :
- Stocksy
- Additional Footage Sourced & Licensed by :
- Adobe
- Media Agency :
- PHD
- Client Business Lead :
- Bob Estrada
- Strategy Director :
- Nichole Verost
- PR Agency :
- Dini von Mueffling Communications
- Founder & CEO :
- Dini von Mueffling
- Publicist :
- Stephanie Morris
Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors
Related work

Sandy Hook Promise: Sandy Hook Promise ads demand action in the wake of the Uvalde tragedy

Sandy Hook Promise: Katy Perry's 'Teenage Dream' takes a dark turn in new Sandy Hook Promise ad

Sandy Hook Promise: Best of 2019: This unexpected back-to-school ad highlights the gear kids need to survive the new year
