The Mirabel Foundation brings joy to the lives of young people who’ve been through unimaginably difficult experiences, young people who’ve lost parents through drug issues.
Cocogun and Photoplay, together with UnLtd and Ryvalmedia, have launched the organisation’s first ever brand campaign with the rallying cry, Childhood is precious, and the power of Sarah Adamson’s visual stories.
In the hero commercial, Adamson captures the curiosity, wonder, and visceral emotions of being a child as director, and underlines them with the song, Angie (I’ve been lost) feat. Angie McMahon by Fred again. The TVC follows a group of kids on an epic adventure, enjoying that glorious feeling of simply being a kid. It is supported by out of home posters, photographed by Sarah Adamson, plus social content, and radio. The radio ads include the voices of Shane Jacobson and Ally Langdon, both long-time supporters of Mirabel. Music supervision was handled by Level Two, sound engineering by Smith & Western, post-production by Heckler, and Nine Audio produced the radio.
Sarah Adamson noted, “Childhood can be a tricky thing to depict authentically. The whole team went to huge efforts to ensure our set was a space where our cast could actually be kids and have fun and I think you can see their genuine joy on the screen. To me, this film feels like a precious childhood memory–the exact thing The Mirabel Foundation gives to kids who don’t have nearly enough of them.”
Mirabel was founded by Jane Rowe in Victoria in 1998, extending to NSW five years later. In her work as a drug and alcohol counsellor, Jane witnessed the devastating effects that drug use has on the children of drug users and the cycle of disadvantage that repeats itself through generations if action is not taken.
Rowe stated, “Mirabel has always believed that every child needs a sense of love, hope and belonging to thrive. Childhood is precious and fragile but we can all make a difference. It’s a genuine delight to tell Mirabel’s story in such an authentic and optimistic way. We wanted to show that no matter the circumstances, we can all make a difference to bring care, connection and joy to a child’s life.”
Jade Harley, director of impact at UnLtd, added, “The collaboration, consideration, and collective enthusiasm our partners demonstrated throughout this project is nothing short of phenomenal. The result is one of the most authentic and joyous campaigns we have ever launched. We are grateful to our partners for their time, passion, and commitment to this campaign, and to the media owners who are standing behind the Mirabel Foundation and, in turn, helping support Mirabel kids.”
Cocogun creative director, Loz Maneschi, commented, “This has been a truly special project. The subject matter is heartbreaking but, once we met Jane and the team, we knew it wasn’t right to create a tearjerker. We wanted to focus more on the joy that Mirabel helps preserve and bring, rather than the sad experiences the kids have been through.”
Jonathan Henshaw, head of product & innovation, from Ryvalmedia, added, “After volunteering and seeing firsthand the incredible work The Mirabel Foundation does in our community, it’s an absolute honour to help bring their first campaign to life through media. The way Mirabel supports children who’ve experienced such hardship is nothing short of extraordinary, and we’re humbled to contribute to a campaign that celebrates the unbridled joy of childhood.”
Credits:
Client: Mirabel Foundation
Jane Rowe: Founder & CEO
Jules Grover: Events & Community Engagement
Nicole Patton: Manager Policy, Services & Partnerships
Campaign Partner: UnLtd
Jade Harley: Director Of Impact
Kath Solly & Raquel Pena: Impact Account Directors
Creative Agency: Cocogun
Chiquita King: Managing Director
Caitlin O’Connor: Senior Account Director
Ant Melder: Creative Partner
Loz Maneschi: Creative Director
Lewis Clark: Copywriter
Jimmy Williams: Art Director
Chris Clausen: Design Director
Monique Pardavi: Executive Producer
Production Company (film & print): Photoplay
Sarah Adamson: Director & Photographer
Oli Lawrance: Executive Producer
Emma Thompson: Executive Producer
Aaron McClisky: Director of Photography
Post-Production: Heckler
Amy Jarman: Executive Producer
Stewart Arnott: Editor
Alina Bermingham: Grader
Daniel Page: Online
Casting: Byrne Creative
Sarah McGrath: Casting Director
Music: Level Two Music
Marcus Brooke-Smith: Head of Music Supervision and Brand
Emily Crews: Head of Partnerships
Sound: Smith & Western Sound
Dan Higson: Executive Producer
Nick West: Creative Director
Media: Ryvalmedia & Labelium
Jonathan Henshaw: Head of Product & Innovation Davina Ly, Client Lead, Labelium
Monica Mui: Account Director
Radio: Nine Audio
Alex Smith: Head of Audio
Media Partners: ACM, Apparition Media, ARN, ATN, Cartology, Gipps Outdoor, JCDecaux, News Corp Australia, Nine Entertainment Co., NOVA Entertainment, Paramount, PedestrianTV, QMS, Rockposters, S&J Media, SEN, Seven, The Guardian, Vinyl Media, Work Place Media
