Eat this, not that. Exercise more. Don’t smoke. People know what the healthy choices are. But the world is full of little forces pulling them away from those choices. Norwegian agency, POL, and JA PreventNCD, Europe’s largest joint initiative to prevent non-communicable diseases, have taken the power away from those forces.

Creating one simple idea that could resonate with both the public and policymakers – while working across 25 countries, cultures and languages – became the project’s biggest creative challenge.

The Pol creative team behind Norway Post’s internationally acclaimed Christmas campaign, including the viral film, Harry Met Santa, solved this new challenge with an equally inventive approach. Their animated film turns the invisible forces shaping everyday decisions into small, furry creatures quietly sabotaging us throughout the day. Rather than focusing on individual responsibility, the campaign, The Saboteurs, shifts attention to the environments, systems and everyday influences that make healthy choices easier – or harder.

“Instead of asking why people don’t make healthier choices, we asked what makes those choices difficult in the first place,” Pol creatives, Rikke Sofie Jacobsen and Pia Emilie Lystad explained.

“Most people already know what’s good for their health. We wanted to make visible the countless small influences surrounding us every day,” stated Thea Nørgaard Breili, project manager at JA PreventNCD.

The campaign film, produced by Einar Film and directed by Axel Hennie, combines live action with AI-assisted production, 3D and VFX. It has been translated into 25 languages and will be used across Europe in public campaigns as well as conferences and events for policymakers.

Credits

Client: JA PreventNCD
Agency: POL
Account Manager: Camilla Iki
Creatives: Rikke Sofie Jacobsen & Pia Emilie Lystad
Designer: Caroline Weseth
Designer & Motion:Andrea Engum
Project Manager: Maria Røisland Normann

Production Company: Einar Film
Director: Axel Hennie
Storyboard Artist: Geir Moen
Editors: Julian Høgseth (Eftf) & Magnus Evensen (Shortcut)
Sound Design: Svein-Ketil Bjøntegård (Uhørt)
Colour Grade: Raymond Gangstad (Uhørt)
Online: Christian Vårdal (Eftf / Shortcut)
Producers: Henriette Løberg-Andersen (Eftf) & Madicken Langvad (Eftf)
Production Coordinator: Linnea Gleditsch (Eftf)
Music: Kristian Tybakken
AI Visual Designer: Edmond Young
3D & VFX: Torgeir Sanders (Gimpville)