The Gate launches new campaign ‘Nobody is Normal’ for Childline

This week sees the launch of Childline’s ‘Nobody is Normal’ campaign – designed to let young people know that no matter how you feel inside, there is always someone you can talk to, and that you are not alone.

Childline (part of the NSPCC) has revealed that every year they hear from thousands of young people who feel like they don’t fit in or feel ‘normal’. 

Over the past few months, counsellors have heard from children who are struggling with their body image, sexuality, gender identity, and mental health. The charity has analysed the data to find these issues spiked during the COVID-19 lockdown.

‘Nobody is Normal’ highlights these issues to let young people know that it’s OK to feel this way, it’s a shared experience, and reassure them that nobody should suffer alone.

In partnership with Blink Productions & Rowdy Films, The Gate have created a surreal film which follows the story of a strange, shadowy creature disguising itself as a seemingly normal teenager in order to fit in at school. But we soon find out that things at this school aren’t quite as “normal” as they seem, and that everybody had been hiding something inside.

The film is a beautifully crafted stop motion animation piece, with its soundtrack provided by Radiohead. Their classic song “Creep” perfectly captures the melancholy mood of the story and introduces itself to a new generation of teens who may also feel like they don’t fit in.

Created by John Osborne, Rickie Marsden and Sam Whatley, under Chief Creative Officer Lucas Peon at The Gate. Directed by Catherine Prowse at Rowdy. The campaign will run across targeted digital and social channels throughout November.

Grania Hyde-Smith, Marketing Lead, Childline said: “At Childline, we often hear from young people who feel like they are different. 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. The Gate have done a brilliant job of bringing this story to life in a captivating animation, which shows young people that we’re all different and there’s no such thing as ‘being normal’.”

Lucas Peon, Chief Creative Officer, The Gate, added: “Working alongside Childline to help young people feel better in their own skin energised all of us at the agency, as well as our partners. It’s a campaign that speaks to children in a way that is natural to them. To walk through the usual walls these types of messages face, we needed an emotional story that intrigued people enough to pay attention and moved them enough to make them reflect and change their perspective.”

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‘Nobody is normal’ is the latest in a line wins and new work for The Gate.  The agency was recently appointed to the the Buzz Bingo integrated business, won the pitch for DKMS and picked up a Kinsale Shark for its ‘Locked Down And Out’ campaign. It also helps brands such as Brewin Dolphin, The Electoral Commission, Chiltern Railways and Church & Dwight to combine creative, data and media so they can walk through walls. 

Childline | Nobody is Normal – Creds List

Brand: Childline

Client: Grania Hyde-Smith (Marketing Lead), Rachel Day (Communications Officer), Courtney Zitola (Senior Digital Marketing Manager), Ellana Salt (Social Media Coordinator)

Creative agency: The Gate 

Chief Creative Officer: Lucas Peon

Creatives: John Osborne, Rickie Marsden, Sam Whatley

Agency producer: Susie Innes

Account director: Sam Dempsey

Strategy Lead: Kit Altin

Media agency: OMD

Director: Catherine Prowse

Producer: Daisy Garside

Production Company: Blink & Rowdy

Director of Photography and Colour Grader: George Warren 

Animators: Tim Allen and Tobias Fouracre 

Puppet Builder: Adeena Grubb

2D Animator and Compositor: Tom Fisher 

Rig Removal:  Ieuan Lewis 

BTS: Joe Eckworth 

Art Department Runners: Feiyang Yin and Stella Chapman

Shot at: Clapham Road Studios

Blink Producer: Josef Byrne

Sound

Major Tom: Jake Wheeler

Grand Central: Gary Turnbull & Molly Butcher

Music companies: Beggars, Warner Chappell, Concord

Soundtrack: Radiohead

Illustration

Illustrator: Biff

Project Manager: Ross Frame, Jelly

Source: The Gate

  Childline, Grania Hyde-Smith, Lucas Peon, NSPCC, The Gate