There are many things that make us happy but only some of us have an idea that dance is one is them. Actually, dancing is an exercise to reach happiness, which helps our body release endorphins and thus make us joyful. Regardless of the mood we are in, dance really possesses the power to stimulate our deepest and positive emotions, boosting our happiness, improving our imagination and creativity, and reducing anxiety and stress.
Besides being an ally in combating these two emotional disorders, dance can be used to cure depression, yet another medical illness that negatively affects one’s mood.
Nowadays, more and more people are experiencing depression. In order to regain our inner peace, Libbs Farmacêutica, a 100% Brazilian pharmaceutical company, proposed dance as a part of depression treatment. The initiative comes as a part of the “Next Step” project, which uses music and movement to help victims of depression overcome the condition in a fun and creative manner.
Developed in partnership with Agência Tudo and supported by Instituto Ivaldo Bertazzo, the initiative can be admired through a documentary and a photographic exhibition, in which 40 people with depression share their heartbreaking experience with the disease.
Suggestively titled the Next Step, the project invited real people suffering from depression to take the next step towards a normal life by combating the illness with dance (in combination with medical treatment). The campaign gloriously morphed into an amazing dancing show that showed the participants stare depression face-to-face and overcome it with majestic body moves.
Their melodious adventure was recorded by the São Paulo-based agency and packed into a two-minute-long video. The documentary, which comes out from the hands of director Tico Vicente from Black Filmes, beautifully complements the initiative, whilst the photographic exhibition, signed by Miro Estúdio, visually concludes the whole experience.
The project was posted as a public announcement online, and soon after that, it received more than 1,000 applications. This meant more than 120 interviews and four dozen participants. The protagonists, who were trained by choreographer Ivaldo Bertazzo undertook an intensive four-month program of rehearsals. At the end of the training sessions, they were challenged to take part in a dance show which took place in Sesc Vila Mariana, in São Paulo.
Besides the videos and the pictures, the project is supported by a website that allows virtual visitors to check the initiative for free, discover the stories behind each protagonist, and to subscribe to learn more about the dance schools which offer special discounts for patients with depression.
Iron Neto, Managing Partner and Business Director at Agência Tudo, said that this initiative aims to be different from other projects that address the same subject: “We had noticed that the vast majority of campaigns that addressed depression were dark, heavy, and even depressing. On top of that, there is the matter of prejudice.”
He also added that “many people don’t face depression as a disease and loads of families don’t see it as a problem or believe that the person is just sad or lazy. That’s why not too many people go after medical help and live their lives for many years without finding an answer, which can result in severe consequences.”
The advertiser concludes by saying why the agency chose dance as an option to treat depression: “Why dance? Because it reestablishes balance, motivation, and connection with life. It is a language that forces the person to move their bodies and overcome inertia. It can be the first step, when associated with medical care, to fight depression and leave it behind.” And we only have one thing to add: Never stop dancing!
Credits:
Agency: Tudo
Client: Libbs
Product: Zetron XL
Title: Próximo Passo – O Projeto
President: Maurício Magalhães
Executive Creative Director: Nina Lucato
Creative Director: Cristiano Franco
Art Director: Cristiano Franco / Nina Lucato
Copywriter: Maria Cristina Del Nero / Nicolla Raggio
Strategy Director: Gustavo Teixeira
Strategist: Cleber Paradela / Felipe Tobal / Leandro Gimenez / Virna Miranda
Account Director: Iron Neto
Account Executive: Ana Cláudia Benini / Ana Paula Pimentel
Account Manager: Natália Mazzi / Vanessa Caruso
Media Director: Lúcia Cucci
Media Assistent: Ana Carolina Costa / Matteus Martins
Production Director: Iron Neto
Audiovisual Production: Dandara Santana
Film Production: Black Maria
Film Director: Tico Vicente
Film Account Director: Prix Adaime
Film Executive Production: Angela Farinello
Film Post Production: Marcio Faurer
Music Director: Ruben Feffer
Music Production: Zé Ruivo
Assistent Music Production: Rodrigo Custódio
Music Production: Flavia Prats Feffer / Erika Marques / Juliana Calazans
Music Post Prodiction: Ultrassom Music Ideas
Photography: Miro
Photography Post Production: Fujocka
Client: Alexandre Varga / Roberta Calvoso / Wilson Junior