NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is running “Naughty or”, a PSA featuring a reflective Santa Claus rethinking the ways in which children have been categorised. 50% of mental health conditions begin by age 14 – that’s why this year, Santa is delivering a reminder to pay attention to children’s mental health and look out for warning signs. Dressed in his red suit, Santa (Greg Hildreth) sits on top of a snow-clad roof delivering a soliloquy on the ways in which he has been implicated in the stigmatisation of children who are seen to be troublesome.
Santa reminds parents and caregivers that they should treat youngsters with patience and understanding, especially during this stressful time of year. It’s a powerful message, given that 50 percent of mental health conditions begin by age 14, and more than 10 million kids are dealing with issues such as depression, anxiety and ADHD, according to a recent nationwide survey.
W+K developed the concept after learning about a mentally ill child who threw a tantrum in a crowded store. During that outburst, a shopper scolded the kid’s parent.
“It made us think about how careless and judgmental we can all be, especially in the context of Christmas, Santa Claus, and the ‘Naughty or Nice’ list,” agency creative director Jaclyn Crowley explains.
Naughty or Nice Credits
The Naughty Or campaign was developed at W+K New York by executive creative director Karl Lieberman, creative directors Jaclyn Crowley, Sean McLaughlin, copywriter Katie D’Agostine, art director Hope Jordan, head of integrated production Nick Setounski, producer Jordan Leinen, studio manager Jill Kearton, brand strategist Brian Ritter, comms manager Lizzie Manning, social strategist Leah Greene, junior social strategist Faith Daniels, project manager Julie Knight, business affairs manager Michael Moronez, account director Samantha Wagner, account supervisor Jasmine Cogdell, assistant account executive DeMornay Harper, working with NAMI team Katrina Gay and Will Jarred.
PR was handled at The Door by PR director Theresa Collins and PR specialist Sanam Shah.
Filming was shot by director David Shane via O Positive with director of photography Berenice Eveno, executive producers Marc Grill and Ralph Laucella, first assistant director Ken Licata, production designer Dan Ouellette.
Editor was Geoff Hounsell at Arcade Edit with post producers Arlene Perez (NY) and Sarah Schachte (LA), executive producer Sila Soyer, editorial assistants Chris Angel (NY) and Luke McIntosh (LA).
Visual effects were produced at The Mill, New York, by VFX shoot supervisor Antoine Douadi, lead compositor Anne Trotman, compositor Tara Holland, matte painter Gillian George, VFX production supervisor Colin Blaney, VFX senior producer Clairellen Wallin, VFX producer Andrew Gilson, VFX production coordinator Katharine Mulderry, and colourist Fergus McCall.
Sound was mixed at Sound Lounge by Tom Jucarone with executive producers Becca Falbourn and Alicia Rodgers. Sound was designed at Henryboy by Bill Chesley with producer Kate Gibson.