Did you know that governments around the world spend about $249 per capita financing wars each year, on your behalf? Without being made aware of this, your money is transformed into ammo and weapons, which are used to fuel the armed violence in conflict zones.
Fortunately, you have the power to end this nightmare. Just listen to what the non-profit organization War Child USA has to say. Driven by the will to bring justice to people living in war zones, and to mark its presence in the US, the charity launched its very first campaign in Northern America, and suggestively titled it ‘$249.’
The $249 initiative doesn’t just provide facts. Rather, it serves as a wakeup call, one that can be seen as the organization’s inspiring way to ask people all over the world to stand up against warfare and put those dollars to a better use by financing education, justice, health, and stopping hunger.
Launched just in time for Universal Children’s Day, it is worth mentioning the campaign’s stunning visual debut, which featured a 30-second-long animation that shows how just $249 dollars can change lives, either in a good, or a bad way.
Signed by Publicis New York and graciously donated by animation studio The Mill, the spot captures a stack of money that, banknote by banknote, takes the shape of different kinds of weapons of war. In a blink of an eye, the money changes its form, mimicking the contours of happy children that are playing and learning in a harmonious environment.
Throughout this animated adventure, viewers are audio-guided by Stranger Things’ star, Caleb McLaughlin, who narrated the story to Radiohead’s hit “No Surprises. The teenage actor mentions that he was grateful to be part of the emotional project and is thankful for what he has: “I was lucky to have a safe and happy childhood, and I think that every kid deserves the same.” Speaking of the project’s concept he added that “investing in peace makes much more sense [to him] than investing in war.”
McLaughlin is not the only celebrity to join the noble cause: American rock band Pearl Jam, Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk, actor Evan Jonigkeit, and many others have joined forces with the NGO through social media in the hope to contribute in crafting a safer world for all of us.
Referring to the partnership between The Mill’s team and Publicis‘ creatives, director Andres Eguiguren said that they “had a lot of freedom from the agency to explore style, lighting and animation performance. Particularly rewarding was the fact that the clients came aboard the idea of framing the piece a little bit like a small window display, a more theatrical approach to lighting, taking clues from dioramas and using a black environment which adds to the contrast of the dollar bills and makes the whole piece stand out.”
Also, along with the New York-based agency, the animation studio developed a website for the organization, where users can closely track the charity’s brave approach to create a sustainable peace. If you just like the campaign or want to support the NGO’s efforts, you are invited to donate and help stop this social epidemic from spreading even further.