Save the Children

The Brief:

Save the Children Europe sought our expertise in creating a set of three animations to use on social media that aimed to raise awareness about the pervasive issue of child poverty across Europe. With one in four children in the EU at risk of poverty or social exclusion, they sought to highlight the urgent need for European leaders to address this crisis in the upcoming elections.

The Approach:

For this project we needed to find a visual representation of a child suffering that was both poignant and abstract. In order to balance emotive storytelling with sensitivity, we utilised silhouettes of human figures with expressive faces that made it possible to convey emotions effectively. Representing characters in this way also ensured we were reflecting the inclusive nature of Save the Children Europe’s mission. The use of silhouettes created a shadowy quality that symbolised the obscured realities faced by children living in poverty or social exclusion. Flashlight effects emphasised the sense of how children in poverty often remain unseen and marginalised.

For this animation we needed to find a visual style that aligned with the gravity of the subject matter. Save the Children’s bold palette of primary red, black and white worked well but we also introduced a variety of gritty and grainy textures to reflect the seriousness of the matter at hand.

To symbolise the concept of lifting a child out of poverty, we introduced a recurring motif of a red balloon throughout the animation. Balloons, typically associated with joy and innocence, juxtaposed against the harsh reality of poverty, added layers of emotional depth to the narrative and also evoked a sense of hope.

The Result:

The animations were also shared on LinkedIn and X where they received over 1.2 million views collectively. The animations were also shown online during Child Poverty Weeks 2024 events in Brussels and various EU capitals.