Image of a young boy with a gold crown on his head

Barnardos Recounts Childhood Birthdays

The TVC with BBH Dublin highlights the issues some children in Ireland face

By Creative Salon

20 January 2025

Childrenʼs charity Barnardos is releasing a thought-provoking film, created by BBH Dublin, to highlight the challenges some children in Ireland face.

Barnardos know that to understand a childʼs issues takes time and work. Itʼs not a quick fix.

That forms the basis of the new film, which follows a young boy recounting a childhood birthday. It begins with him telling a story of a perfect day, surrounded by friends, family, presents and a huge cake topped with candles. The story is then retold again and again. With each blow of the candle, more of the facade is chipped away to get to the truth; that his birthdays werenʼt very special. The story ends with the boy, now in his teens, opening up about his real childhood experience to a Barnardos keyworker. All laddering up to the enduring line ‘Because childhood lasts a lifetimeʼ.

BBH Dublin worked closely with Barnardos to capture the reality of the healing process on film - how itʼs an ongoing journey that requires continued support. With support systems stretched and children facing unprecedented challenges post-pandemic, from mental health struggles to enforced deprivation, early intervention is more important than ever. Without those interventions, a child may never move past the first scene.

Sean Bergin, fundraising manager, Barnardos Ireland, says, “Birthdays are a universal experience which generally, connote feelings of joy and happiness. This is a stark contrast to the reality of childhood for many children in Ireland. BBH Dublin nailed the storytelling to highlight the positive impact Barnardos is able to make when able to intervene early.ˮ

The film was directed by David Leon with Iconoclast. Evonne OʼRourke, production lead, BBH Dublin added: “We felt a real responsibility to produce a piece of work that had impact and the power to support the brilliant work that Barnardos does. We knew we had a great script on our hands, but it was crucial that the idea was underpinned by craft that protected the authenticity of the story.

“It was a fine balance to strike - the production design, edit, sound design and colour grade all had key parts to play in shaping and enhancing the narrative but not in a way that would overpower or become the focal point of the film.ˮ

The film is a continuation of the charityʼs wider ‘Change Their Story – Because Childhood Lasts a Lifetimeʼ campaign which launched in October 2024 with an OOH with a mission to move people from passive empathy to active empathy by showing how their support can transform childrenʼs futures.

The campaign will be running in Ireland across TV/BVOD, Radio, YouTube, Cinema and Social.

Credits

Agency Credits:

CAMPAIGN TITLE: Change Their Story

CLIENT: Barnardos

ADVERTISING AGENCY: BBH Dublin

CEO: Karen Martin

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Felipe Serradourada Guimaraes

CREATIVE LEADS: Sam Caren and Aubrey OʼConnell

CREATIVES: Simran Sidhu and Katy David

STRATEGY LEAD: Simon Gregory / Darius Pasalar / Bethan Wotton

BUSINESS LEAD: Amy Crowe