NSPCC "Cartoon"

I believe there’s a lack of respect, or/and lack of knowledge, or/and lack of appreciation by my generation of picture-makers for the legends who paved the way for our craft. This is one of the reasons I joined the legendary production house MJZ. Since my job here is labeled as “advertising,” I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to educate or/and inspire, because below are works that I can confidently call art - an art of ad-making that has seemingly completely vanished. Why that’s the case is for another time to discuss.

I start of with Frank Budgen and could easily make a playlist of Frank’s entire reel and call it quits, because Frank’s work is essentially art disguised as advertising, and he is single-handedly responsible for the later efforts by Glazer and Cunningham.

Released around July 2000 for the NSPCC (UK), the commercial - called “Cartoon” - features a dissonant yet powerful visual: a cartoon child being hurt by a live-action parent, blending animation with real-life footage to dramatic effect

The ad’s blend of animation and live action drew praise for its raw emotional resonance - and served its purpose: communicating child abuse in a manner both visceral and stark. The inversion of media styles - the innocence of cartoon forms juxtaposed with the rawness of real-life trauma - struck a memorable chord

In obituaries and tributes following Budgen’s passing (2015), “Cartoon” is frequently highlighted as one of his most significant works - alongside other renowned pieces like “Mountain”, “Play-Doh”, and “Double Life”.