Mirabel Foundation Debuts Campaign for Children Who Have Lost Parents To Drugs

The Mirabel Foundation, the organisation that supports children who’ve lost their parents through drug issues, has launched its first-ever brand awareness campaign. Based around the theme that ‘Childhood is precious’, the campaign focuses on Mirabel’s commitment to bringing joy to the lives of young people who’ve been through unimaginably difficult experiences.

Set to ‘Angie (I’ve been lost)’ feat. Angie McMahon by Fred again.., the campaign centres around a 60-second film capturing the curiosity, wonder, and visceral emotions of being a child.

Directed by Photoplay’s Sarah Adamson, it follows a group of kids on an epic adventure, enjoying that glorious feeling of simply being a kid. The TVC is supported by out of home posters, photographed by Sarah Adamson, social content, and radio. The radio ads include the voices of Shane Jacobson and Ally Langdon, both long-time supporters of Mirabel. Music supervision was handled by Level Two, sound engineering by Smith & Western, post-production by Heckler, and Nine Audio produced the radio.

Mirabel was founded by Jane Rowe in Victoria in 1998, extending to NSW five years later. In her work as a drug and alcohol counsellor, Jane witnessed the devastating effects that drug use has on the children of drug users and the cycle of disadvantage that repeats itself through generations if action is not taken.

Jane said, "Mirabel has always believed that every child needs a sense of love, hope and belonging to thrive. Childhood is precious and fragile but we can all make a difference. It’s a genuine delight to tell Mirabel’s story in such an authentic and optimistic way. We wanted to show that no matter the circumstances, we can all make a difference to bring care, connection and joy to a child’s life."

Jade Harley, director of Impact at UnLtd said, “The collaboration, consideration, and collective enthusiasm our partners demonstrated throughout this project is nothing short of phenomenal. The result is one of the most authentic and joyous campaigns we have ever launched. We are grateful to our partners for their time, passion, and commitment to this campaign, and to the media owners who are standing behind the Mirabel Foundation and, in turn, helping support Mirabel kids.”

Cocogun creative director Loz Maneschi added, “This has been a truly special project. The subject matter is heartbreaking but, once we met Jane and the team, we knew it wasn’t right to create a tearjerker. We wanted to focus more on the joy that Mirabel helps preserve and bring, rather than the sad experiences the kids have been through.”

Director Sarah Adamson said, “Childhood can be a tricky thing to depict authentically. The whole team went to huge efforts to ensure our set was a space where our cast could actually be kids and have fun and I think you can see their genuine joy on the screen. To me, this film feels like a precious childhood memory–the exact thing The Mirabel Foundation gives to kids who don’t have nearly enough of them.”

Jonathan Henshaw, head of product and innovation, from Ryvalmedia added, “After volunteering and seeing firsthand the incredible work The Mirabel Foundation does in our community, it’s an absolute honour to help bring their first campaign to life through media. The way Mirabel supports children who’ve experienced such hardship is nothing short of extraordinary, and we’re humbled to contribute to a campaign that celebrates the unbridled joy of childhood.”