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The NSPCC's hard-hitting "Cartoon Boy" ad is the best charity ad in the world, 2003. The advert, which was made in association with Saatchi and Saatchi, won gold at Cannes and the One Show (the equivalent of the US Oscars for advertising) and a silver D&AD (top awards in the advertising industry).
The announcement was made in the Gunn report, a report that looks at the success of adverts the world over.
Cartoon Boy, which launched in March 2002 to coincide with our campaign to protect babies and toddlers, used "Tom and Jerry" imagery to show a cartoon child "bouncing back" from several attacks by his father. After the final act of abuse the character becomes a real child lying motionless on the floor. The aim was to encourage more action to help the hidden victims of child cruelty.
In a list crammed with top corporate brands including Nike and MTV, Cartoon Boy was just pipped to the overall number one spot by the Italian Peugeot 206 ad, which featured a man sculpting his car by crashing it. The only other UK ads to make the top ten were the John Smiths "bombing" advert (sixth) and the Stella Artois advert set on Devil's Island (eighth).
NSPCC Director of Communications, John Grounds said, "This report shows that we are using the most effective methods possible to drive home our campaign to end child abuse.
"Calls to our child protection helpline doubled during the ad's run and while we are delighted with the report and our clutch of awards, what mattered to us was its impact in protecting children from intolerable harm and abuse."
Cartoon Boy was screened after the 9 o'clock watershed. This is because the content of the advert was deemed to be too shocking for younger viewers. The abuse of children is shocking and the need to make people aware that it still takes place is vital to our campaign to end cruelty.
To access video or audio clips online you will need Windows Media Player or Real Player.
Launched in March 2002, to coincide with our campaign to protect babies and toddlers, the so-called Cartoon Boy used “Tom and Jerry” imagery to show a cartoon child 'bouncing back' from several attacks by his father. After the final act of abuse the character becomes a real child lying motionless on the floor. The aim was to encourage more action to help the hidden victims of child cruelty.
Copyright © 2006 NSPCC - All rights reserved. National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Weston House, 42
Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH. Incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered charity number 216401. NSPCC, charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC037717.