Together we can save many vulnerable lives.

A one-minute animation raising awareness about preventable deaths among young children worldwide.

Client

UNICEF

Field

NGO

Type

Awareness Campaign

Year

2024

Challenge

In 2022, the number of premature deaths among children under five dropped below 5 million for the first time — a significant milestone compared to over 12.8 million in 1990.

While this is encouraging progress, the numbers remain staggering: pneumonia alone still claims the lives of 700,000 children each year.

UNICEF wanted to communicate essential, life-saving practices to parents and caregivers around the world. The message focused on three key preventative actions:

Vaccination
Nutritious, balanced food
Handwashing before meals

The objective was to present this message in a simple, emotionally engaging way through a short-form animation suited for social media.

"I was pleased with the result. I would gladly work with again in the future."

Maria Fernanda Lauret, Multimedia Producer, UNICEF

Solution

We created a one-minute animation optimized for social media in three formats: YouTube (16:9), Instagram (1:1), and LinkedIn (4:5).

To introduce the topic with warmth and sensitivity, we proposed a birthday metaphor - using the image of a child turning five to highlight the fragility and importance of early childhood survival.

Visually, we adopted a collage-style graphic approach, leveraging imagery from UNICEF’s own photo library. This method allowed us to:

Craft a narrative with realistic, emotionally resonant visuals
Avoid the need for video footage while maintaining authenticity
Align with UNICEF’s brand identity and tone of voice

The treatment was both resourceful and visually striking, bringing depth and human connection to a serious global issue.

Process

With a tight one-month turnaround, we worked in close collaboration with the UNICEF multimedia producer from day one.

We began by developing illustration concepts and a simplified animatic to validate the storyline and pacing.

In parallel, we crafted the graphic universe:

Printed textures
Paper-cut transitions
A tactile animation vocabulary that echoed the tangible, everyday nature of the life-saving actions presented

UNICEF emphasized the importance of depicting children within their real-life environments. To meet this requirement, we used early generative AI features in Photoshop to extend and adapt backgrounds based on real locations, maintaining visual consistency and realism without the need for additional photography.