Director Brought Silkworms to a Shoot About Kids Who’ve Lost Parents to Drugs
For Mirabel’s first-ever brand awareness campaign, independent agency Cocogun focused on the brand’s commitment to bringing joy to the lives of young people with unimaginably difficult experiences. Based around the theme ‘Childhood is Precious’, the spot highlights Mirabel’s mission as an organisation that supports children who’ve lost their parents due to drug issues.
Directed by Photoplay’s Sarah Adamson, the TVC follows a group of children on an “epic adventure” set to ‘Angie (I’ve been lost)’ by Fred Again and Angie McMahon. The 60-second film expresses “the curiosity, wonder, and visceral emotions” of being a child.
Cocogun co-founder and creative partner Ant Melder told LBB the feel-good spot was very nearly a tear-jerker.
The essential puzzle pieces in the end were music, emotive storytelling, and a box full of silkworms.
LBB> What inspired the decision to focus on joy and adventure rather than the trauma these children have experienced, and how did you balance authenticity with optimism?
Ant> Some of the stories the Mirabel Foundation shared with us are absolutely heartbreaking. Our first instinct was to go with a heartstrings-tugging vibe, but the more we spoke to Mirabel, the more we came to understand that they’re all about helping to maintain everything that’s special about childhood, despite the circumstances.
With this in mind, we felt that evoking the sense of wonder, belonging, and joy at the heart of childhood would be far more authentic to Mirabel, and stand out more than a sadder direction.
LBB> Why was the Fred Again song ‘Angie (I’ve Been Lost)’ chosen as the soundtrack, and how does it reflect the campaign’s message?
Ant> Jane and Mirabel have deep connections with the music industry, so we always knew music was going to be an important piece of the puzzle. Both Cocogun and The Mirabel Foundation are massive Fred Again fans, especially the ‘Actual Life’ albums. The way he uses real people, events and circumstances of his life to imbue his music with deep emotion is sublime. And that particular track is so special. Just like the story we’re trying to tell about the work Mirabel does, it has an arc from melancholy to uplifting. We wanted to show the kids’ journey from the depths of reflection to the pure joy of just being a kid, having fun.
LBB> Director Sarah Adamson mentioned creating a set where kids could genuinely have fun. Can you share a memorable moment from filming that captured this spirit?
Ant> As soon as we had the idea we knew we wanted Sarah to shoot the campaign. She’s so good at getting really natural performances out of people. Sarah, EPs Emma Thompson and Oli Lawrance, and the whole team at Photoplay, were absolutely brilliant.
One of the things Sarah did was bring a shoebox with these beautiful silkworms along to the shoot. The kids (and creatives!) were absolutely transfixed by them. Looking at them, gently handling them, feeding them mulberry leaves. One of them even made it into the finished ad.
LBB> Mirabel’s founder, Jane Rowe, has a deep personal connection to the cause. How did her insights shape the creative direction of the campaign?
Ant> Jane is a truly special person. She is Mirabel. She founded the organisation in 1998 having identified a vulnerable group of children and being compelled to take action to make a positive difference in their lives.
In her work as a drug and alcohol counsellor, Jane had witnessed the devastating effects that drug use has on the children of drug users. Her deep personal knowledge and insights were the bedrock the campaign was built on. We took her steer at every key point of strategic and creative development. Alongside her, Jules Grover and Nicole Patton in the Mirabel team provided endless support and input. It ended up feeling less like a client-agency relationship and more like a brilliant, collaborative family.
LBB> How do you hope this campaign will shift public perception or awareness about children affected by parental drug use?
Ant> Our aim was to use beautiful craft and emotive storytelling to drive wider awareness of the Mirabel Foundation and the work it does. The more people who know about this, the more who’ll lean in and support Mirabel in some way. And the more support Mirabel gets, the more effective they’re able to be in their mission to help kids who’ve lost parents to drug abuse, and prevent the cycle of disadvantage that repeats itself through generations if action’s not taken.
LBB> Were there earlier concepts that leaned more emotional, and why were they scrapped?
Ant> Yeah, given the emotional territory and Mirabel’s connection to the music industry, there were various poems and songs. One idea was to have a kid reciting the Oasis song ‘Live Forever’ like a poem. But given the nature of what Mirabel does, we thought it best to leave the once famously colourful lifestyle of the Gallagher brothers on the sideline for this one.
