UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY FUND | Have a Cigar | 1969

A husband's hand, offering a cigar, said it all / United Cerebral Palsy Fund "Have a Cigar"

A husband holds out a cigar to his newborn baby. It looks like a casual gesture, but hidden in it is a story about cerebral palsy. This is Have a Cigar, Grand Prix winner at the 1969 Cannes Lions.

The problem

At the time, most awareness ads for cerebral palsy showed children on crutches living bravely and positively. But that approach wasn't getting the message across. In the competitive world of fundraising, cerebral palsy was often confused with multiple sclerosis or muscular dystrophy.

The insight

The creators, Jack and Dave, set two goals: to strip away the cellophane wrapping that hid cerebral palsy from view, and to raise its standing on people's lists of causes to donate to. They decided there was no way to do this except by appealing to emotion.

The idea

Behind the quiet scene of a husband handing over a cigar lies a single moment: a lack of oxygen during childbirth. A hint that the wife blames herself keeps the ad from tipping over into pure sentimentality. Both the DDB staff and the production company reportedly worked on this project for free.

What happened

In 1969, it won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. For DDB, it was their second Grand Prix, following Burlington Socks' "Dance" in 1967.

Afterthought

A quiet public service commercial. Choosing quietness over flash to get the message across was judged the best in the world. I'd like to make work like that too.

Awards

Cannes Lions Grand Prix 1969

Three more the bear picked for you

The World Has Changed, But This One Conversation Hasn't / P&G "THE TALK"

▶

P&G | THE TALK | 2018

The World Has Changed, But This One Conversation Hasn't / P&G "THE TALK"

What comes to mind when you hear "the talk"? Most people think of the conversation about sex. But for Black parents in America, it meant something else entirely: the conversation where you teach your child the reality of racism. From that one gap in meaning came a film that won the Grand Prix at Cannes.

The Real Olympic Sponsor Wasn't the Athletes — It Was the Moms / P&G "Thank You, Mom – Best Job"

▶

P&G | Thank You, Mom – Best Job | 2012

The Real Olympic Sponsor Wasn't the Athletes — It Was the Moms / P&G "Thank You, Mom – Best Job"

At the 2012 London Olympics, P&G called itself the "Proud Sponsor of Moms" — the official sponsor of mothers everywhere.

Just Seven Sentences Became the Voice of a Lost Generation / PENNY "The Wish"

▶

PENNY | The Wish | 2022

Just Seven Sentences Became the Voice of a Lost Generation / PENNY "The Wish"

At Christmas 2021, German supermarket PENNY made a three-minute film. A son asks his mother an offhand question, and she answers: she wishes he could get his youth back. All of it—the late nights, the heartbreak, the adventures sneaking out—everything the pandemic took away.