It’s important, too. An advert that tackles insecurity in children must be good. The problem is, adults spend much of their lives as brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers, trying to stop kids feelings this way, or at least to make sure they know it’s alright to talk about. So, with the added weight of creating an advert for so many children, how are adults going to get this right?

The advert uses the puppet work of Adeena Grubb and is directed by Catherine Prowse, drawing from influences as diverse as body horror film and the iconic Carrie. Now, there’s still a lot of the agency amping up the creative merits of the production, like the use of “Dutch tilt camera angles” that will no doubt go over the heads of most, let alone kids and young teenagers, yet the message prevails - it’s okay not to feel okay in your own skin. Everybody else is going through the same thing.

Childline, the charity who this work is for, are a part of the NSPCC, tasked with looking after the children of the UK. They have stated that increasingly, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, a growing amount of their feedback comes from young people concerned with their body image and mental health issues. They felt they had to act.

Exposure to the wild west of online blogs, gaming platforms and social media, particularly without the outlet of friends to go and hang around with, seems to have created a fertile ground for thoughts of insecurity to creep in during lockdown. Being removed from the physicality of school, the warmth of true social connection, can make the prospect of returning daunting for many. 

Even though they characters are puppets, they come across as innately human and recognisable - each of their inner ‘monsters’ representing something that the director hopes will be relatable to young kids. It’s a worthy cause and a great opportunity for advertising agencies to begin making work that works again.