Leagas Delaney has created another emotive campaign for the Royal British Legion, highlighting the often unseen emotional impact of military service on both those who serve and the families who stand beside them.

The new campaign film, Parallel Lives, directed by Blink Production’s Jesse Lewis-Reece follows a soldier and his young son in split screen, telling the story of their parallel lives separated by distance but connected by shared experiences. They share sleepless nights and anxiety, loneliness and the uncertainty of starting over. Their stories mirror one another, revealing how the challenges of military life can be felt just as deeply at home as they are on deployment.

As their stories unfold, the film reveals that while their lives may look very different, their emotional struggles are remarkably similar. Both face challenges. Both make sacrifices. And both deserve support, which is the service supplied by the Royal British Legion.

Neil Clarke and Jay Philipps, executive creative directors at Leagas Delaney, stated, “The Royal British Legion does extraordinary work supporting the Armed Forces community and their families. What many people don’t realise is that just one day of military service can make you and your family eligible for a lifetime of support. That’s an incredibly powerful truth. With Parallel Lives, we wanted to show that while only one person wears the uniform, the emotional impact of service is often shared by the whole family. Because when someone serves, their family serves too.”

Rebecca Warren, director of marketing and communications at the Royal British Legion, added , “The impact of military life on families, both during and after service, is well-known to those in the Armed Forces community, but it is an aspect of service that is less understood by wider audiences. Playing out their parallel lives in the campaign perfectly illustrates the shared emotions and unique challenges families go through when someone serves. RBL is here for those who serve and their families, whatever the need, whenever it’s needed, and we hope this year’s campaign will bring to life the sacrifices families make alongside their loved one.”

The campaign is running throughout the UK with 60-second and 20-second TV spots airing across ITV, Channel 4, Sky and Channel 5, supported in streaming and on-demand platforms, outdoor, digital and social activity.

Credits
Client: Royal British Legion
Client Team: Gary Ryan, Rebecca Warren, Danielle Wootton & Matt Olds

Creative Agency: Leagas Delaney
Chair Tim Delaney
Executive Creative Directors: Neil Clarke & Jay Phillips
Copywriter: Mary Wear
Head of Design: Chris Chapman
Design Directors: Simon Brown & Ricardo Stoco
Head of Production: Glenn Paton
Integrated Producer: Carla Sandhu
Managing Partner: Chris Boyton
Strategy Partneralice Schaffer
Account Director: Christina Tilenni
Account Manager: Annie Porter
Production Company: Blink / Blinkink
Director: Jesse Lewis Reece
Managing Director: Paul Weston
Executive Producer: Corin Taylor
Producer: Lucy Benson-Brown
Director of Photography: Evangelos Polychronopoulos

Grade: Time Based Arts
Producer: Lily Barron
Colourist: Simone Grattarola
Editing: Cabin
Producer: Lola Cookman
Editors: Emma Backman & Jacob Crow-Mains
Music & Sound: 750mph
Assistant Producer Rachel Saxon
Sound Engineers: Sam Ashwell & Mike Bovill

Here is last year’s equally emotive campaign: