The unmitigated responsibility of a parent is to give his/her children everyday basics – love, security, attention and a safe environment at home. It’s parents who choose the kind of home in which their children grow up.

You’d think that it would be simple for a parent in a first world country to make his/her child feel safe, loved and important.

That underestimates the damage that alcohol can do.

Fragile Childhood was begun in 1986 to encourage people to participate anonymously in discussion and share their thoughts about responsible parental drinking on its Facebook platform. It also does a little educating of its own.

Research done in Finland showed that every fourth Finnish child has suffered some harm or emotional disturbance because of parent’s alcohol usage.

Havas Helsinki’s 2012 campaign. Monsters, was based on research about how young people feel about their parents after they’ve been drinking. It’s not subtle.

The new campaign, The Orphanage, still presents the confronting viewpoint of children. This time, the ad’s strike is unexpected.

It imagines an orphanage in which children get to choose their parents. There is no sermonising voiceover. Its power comes through a captivating fantasy and a simple proposition: “Children can’t choose their parents,” followed by “What if they could?'”

Creative credits:

Agency: Havas Worldwide Helsinki

Creative director: Marko Vuorensola

Copywriter: Liisa Vilkkumaa

Art director: Marko Vuorensola

Director: Mikko Lehtinen