How a Burp-tastic Ad Threw Up a New Way to Fight Hunger
There’s something extraordinary about a burp. Yes, in Canada, it’s generally considered poor manners, but hearing an epic belch or meeting someone who can do it on demand - it’s kind of impressive, in an unexpected but humorous way.
However, let’s take a moment to consider what a burp actually represents. Yes, it can be caused by swallowing excess air, or drinking too much sparkling liquid, but it’s also commonly associated with having a belly full of food, something - one would hope - every person on the planet experiences on a consistent basis.
But unfortunately, it doesn’t happen that way. According to World Vision Canada, more than 45 million people are experiencing food insecurity, which includes children - an especially in-need demographic. To this end, with the goal of eradicating childhood hunger and building on the 2.8 million people it feeds every year, the organisation partnered up with Broken Heart Love Affair (BHLA) to create a campaign ahead of the holiday season.
Rather than focus on the grim numbers, however, the creative, directed by duo TAO/S, focused on the silliness of burping and the way in which having a full stomach allows children to play, engage in shenaniganry, and, well, be kids. Brought to life by a series of burps from various children, and the reactions of the adults in their life to this action, the work positions burping as more than just funny, but an audible reaction to a successful food delivery, meaning that every burp equates to one less child going hungry.
LBB’s Josh Neufeldt sat down with BHLA creative directors Mike Morelli and Marty Hoefkes, and World Vision Canada’s director, brand, creative and campaigns, Jennifer Watton, and creative lead, Chris Montgomery, to chat about how this campaign positioned burping as music to our ears.
LBB> What was the brief for this campaign, and what immediate ideas came to mind?
Jennifer> We wanted to share with Canadians the real and lasting impact their donations make in the lives of the world’s most vulnerable girls and boys - and we wanted to do that over two chapters leading into our Christmas giving season. There’s something special about the team at BHLA and how they see the power of a human story. World Vision works in many areas across global relief, development and advocacy, and BHLA was able to focus that story into a spark that creates a real emotional connection.
Mike> World Vision Canada provides all kinds of assistance, like housing, clean water, food, and education, but for this we aimed specifically at how tackling food insecurity allows kids to be kids. Because really, it’s hard to be silly and playful if you’re worrying about where your next meal is coming from.
Marty> We had a wide range of ideas for this to start, but the burp was the simplest and cleanest one. A lot of others involved these wild installations or builds that weren’t feasible within our budget or time.
Mike> (We’ll save them for next time!)
LBB> Specifically, why was taking a different tone with the creative so important? And what made humour, specifically showcasing people burping, the right way to approach this opportunity?
Mike> There’s a lot of sad content out there. We wanted something that would stick in peoples’ heads and help them understand the other side of the coin: that when they donate, they’re not just preventing sad children, they’re enabling happy and healthy ones.
Marty> For us, burping is such a great shorthand for kids being full and being childish at the same time.
Mike> It’s a kind of universal language. No matter where in the world you are, kids burping is funny. At least, to kids, it is.
LBB> A big part of this is the idea of letting kids be kids, and the fact that when they’re hungry, they can’t be. Specifically, why did you want to focus on this aspect going into the holiday season?
Jennifer> The holidays are a time of food and serve as a reminder of what we have that others don’t. Food insecurity is something that is staring us straight in the face. Our recent survey with Ipsos found that 90% of Canadians believe having enough food to eat is a basic human right, so we feel they will connect to this campaign. We wanted to show the work that we’re doing now to feed hungry bellies, and to show how we can feed more, faster together.
LBB> Tell us about the writing process! Obviously, you wanted to showcase burping, but how did the idea evolve?
Marty> The original script was fairly loose. We had thoughts on the kinds of people we wanted to show, like a mom and baby, kids at school, brother and sister, etc., and a rough order for how it would ramp up. But, we like to keep things at least somewhat open until we get a director, so that they have room for their passion and expertise.
Mike> Once we saw the director treatment, the idea took some big sideways steps. And then when the locations and casting started coming in, we all just kept piling on more and more thoughts.
Marty> It helped having such a nimble crew and collaborative directors. So much of what made the edit came from being on set and saying, ‘Hey, what if someone burped over there?’.
LBB> Speaking of the director, the film was brought to life by the duo TAO/S. What made them the right team for the job, and what was collaborating with them like?
Marty> TAO/S have a really powerful reel and have done many scrappy productions around the world. Their scripted work feels almost like a documentary. Really great performances.
Lots of short films, lots of emotional stuff. And plenty of experience with kids on camera too.
Mike> We loved the look of their films and how natural all the performances were. And, they were fantastic to work with. They came to the project with so much enthusiasm and so many ideas, and then they got a tonne of footage. We captured entirely new scenes and extra material, fun little asides and outtakes, and a wide range of interesting and dynamic moments.
Marty> We could’ve cut the spot 20 different ways!
LBB> And how did you actually go about filming the children, both acting naturally and having fun, but also burping?
Jennifer> Most of our campaigns feature real kids, not actors. So, for ‘Burp’, we were excited to work with the Tao brothers who brought a lot of skill at working with younger talent and non-actors to deliver super powerful and natural performances. The result was that some of the reactions to the burps - the belly-aching laughter and the stern face of the teacher - were the most fun to watch.
Marty> It was my favourite casting of all time! We sent out a casting call for audition tapes that were basically just kids burping and laughing into their phone cameras.
Mike> We ended up casting a lot of families through this process, which is probably what led to such natural acting and reactions. Most of the directing notes were to the adults, asking them to laugh in one take, or scold their kids in the next.
Chris> The shoot was particularly fun. When the script involves having kids burping, they are obviously super into it. It felt funny to sit there listening on headphones and discussing which burps were better and trying to get different-sounding burps for variety. Not something you normally do with burps!
Aaron and Winston Tao also made this easier. One of them could be there with kids helping and coaching them, while the other could focus on capturing the shot perfectly. We had a more ‘run and gun’ camera setup with minimal lighting and equipment, so it was less intimidating for some of the younger kids. Meanwhile, the Tao brothers just rolled the camera and let the kids ‘be kids’, and the magic and genuine expressions came quickly.
LBB> Where did you shoot, and do you have any anecdotes from on set?
Chris> Cape Town was a fantastic location to shoot this film. We got such a diverse set of locations and cast to represent the variety of areas that World Vision works in, all into one area. The local crew did an incredible job of setting up each scene. Every time we rolled up to a new location, I was impressed with how I suddenly felt immersed in a place that felt like another part of the world.
One of the last scenes we filmed was the small baby being burped by the grandmother in the house. The room had so many beautiful, complementary colours in it already, and we loved how it just popped so much in the final shot. Obviously, when shooting with such a small child, you can only use them for a few minutes on camera, so we had a lineup of babies with their mothers waiting outside the door and cycled them in for the grandmother to hold. Luckily, the second baby let out a tiny burp after not too long, so it didn’t take too much effort.
I loved many of the indoor scenes we shot, a couple of which didn’t even make the final film because we had so many to choose from. But the simple shooting and lighting setup we had meant that our shots felt like we were just observing a peaceful moment of kids in their quiet, intimate home setting. You almost forgot that it was a set. I felt it made for great juxtaposition with some of the louder, more rambunctious scenes that some of the loud burps had. It’s amazing how when you focus on just different possible burp scenes, you begin to realise how many different types of burps there are.
Mike> For me, there’s a few. Winston Tao doing jumping jacks and spinning in circles to get the kids’ energy up, a schoolyard full of kids passing a GoPro around and burping into it, and a grandma belching louder than I’ve ever heard in my life!
Marty> We also loved how so many people just came out to see what was happening, and then would demo their own burps on camera.
LBB> As a whole, what challenges came with this project, and how did you overcome them?
Mike> The lead-up to the shoot was actually pretty straightforward. Clients were all behind the idea, and our production team was really into it. And aside from a rainy day, the shoot itself went really smoothly. The behind the scenes of the shoot was probably where most of the chaos was. But, we had great partners at every stage of the production who made sure everything went perfectly.
Jennifer> It was a tight timeline, and the team at BHLA really hustled with us to make it all happen. We worked with our inspiration music track throughout the post-production process. When it came time to select final music, we didn’t have the time to go through licensing, so we explored creating our own bespoke soundtrack. In the end, the creative team found a song that was different from the inspiration but struck the right tone and aligned beautifully with the spoon taps in the opening scene.
LBB> What lessons have you learned in the making of this campaign?
Marty> We learned so much about the things World Vision Canada does and how it affects communities around the world. And, we absorbed little bits about all the people and cultures we got a chance to interact with.
Production-wise, it reinforced how important it is to trust the partners you’re working with and let them do what they do best.
Jennifer> This campaign showed us the power of simplicity. Something as simple as a burp can tell a much larger story about strength in adversity and how food fuels childhood. Burps are also universal - we can all relate to that quiet satisfaction of a full belly and the sound it creates. When we tap into those universal experiences, the world starts to feel smaller, and we feel more connected to each other.
LBB> How have people responded to the campaign since release? And how will this be followed up on by giving season spots?
Mike> It’s been really well received! Any worries we had of people thinking burps are gross have faded away.
Jennifer> We have a history of telling tough stories, like our ‘No Child For Sale’ campaign that highlighted the issue of child labour. So, with ‘Burp’, we’re hearing that it feels like a new story for World Vision.
Marty> As for the giving season work, that will show other ways that kids around the world can have fun when they’re not worried about food insecurity. Basically, just by being silly and playing make-believe.
Mike> We originally had ideas like playing hide and seek or dressing up in mom’s outfits, but once we got out to our locations, we just asked local kids what they did for fun and filmed that instead. What we captured definitely feels more unique and unexpected.
LBB> How does this campaign fit into World Vision’s branding for 2023 and beyond?
Jennifer> ’Burp’ signals a shift for World Vision. We want Canadians to feel a sense of magic when they engage with us in person or through our digital platforms. Moving forward, you’ll see us tap into that sense of childlike power and audaciousness that compels us all to create real impact and transform lives.
LBB> Finally, is there anything you’d like Canadians to know about World Vision, and how they can support you in the coming times?
Jennifer> World Vision is a ‘Top 10 International Impact Charity’ with Charity Intelligence. We have a five-star rating including high demonstrated impact, and an A+ for our results reporting. Nearly 10 lives are saved every day through our food assistance programs. You can help feed more people faster by donating today at worldvision.ca.
