According to the Ad Council, two out of three teens claim they’ve experienced bullying. Still, some of them don’t think they are part of the problem. One-third of teens list bullying as a top concern today. Yet, twice as many say they regularly experience more specific behaviors like drama, teasing, and exclusion. Without being aware of their actions and even though it’s not their intent, some of them end up hurting their mates.

New “Because of You” PSA, courtesy of the Ad Council and creative agency TBD, launched on our screens to empower teens to consider twice their actions and how these can influence someone’s tomorrow. The Ad Council’s latest campaign “A Message from the Future,” part of the “Because of You” platform that TBD created last year, comes as a reminder that we should consider the long-lasting impact of our actions.

Strategically launched at the beginning of the year and the decade, because this is an important time to reflect on how what we do today can influence someone’s tomorrow, the campaign wants to highlight the impact of teen’s actions, in a culture where meanness is normalized, to create a more empathetic, inclusive community.

To show youngsters how their behavior can impact other’s moods, Ad Council created a campaign in which technology takes the center of the stage. Using an innovative technique, a group of teens was aged up only to send a message from the future to some of their mates. Buddies of the participants were, therefore, surprised with a message from their aged-up friend, who thank them for being there when they were bullied. The creative features The Head and the Heart’s song “See You Through My Eyes,” provided by Warner Records.

“No one can get through to teens better than their own friends – which is why this campaign is so resonant and effective,” said Heidi Arthur, Chief Campaign Development Officer at the Ad Council. “I love how this next phase uses breakthrough technology to show the lasting impact you can have on someone.”

“Last year we flipped the concept on how anti-bullying campaigns have always been done in the past,” explained Rafael Rizuto, Co-Founder and CCO of TBD. “This year we wanted to evolve the campaign to show them that their words and actions have a long-lasting impact. To achieve this, we turned the impossible into possible by using cutting edge tech to bring their friends from the future to deliver a special message. Live.”

“We knew we wanted to age the kids by 10 years in a live, real-time setting to create an emotionally raw experience,” noted Anrick Bergman, the film’s director. “To achieve this, we started by scanning data of the teen’s face. Then we digitally changed the shape of a blank face to match their facial features and movements, capturing not just how they look, but how they move, talk, and their small, unique, behavioral micro signals. By using a TrueDepth camera setup, we allowed them to control their older selves in real-time, to create an honest way for them to pay a heartfelt thank you to their friend.”

The campaign was developed pro bono by the San-Francisco-based agency. Because of You will be available to teens throughout the year, whilst the new PSA translates with donations. More importantly, the ad is supported by huge partners, such as Adobe, Hallmark, and Johnson & Johnson. Non-profit partners include Be Strong, Born This Way Foundation, The Bully Project, GLSEN, No Bully, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, and The Trevor Project. These partners will help extend the reach of the campaign to their respective audiences.

Credits:

Client: Ad Council

Agency: TBD