One pregnant woman emailed in, and 15 kids wrote back / World Down Syndrome Day "DEAR FUTURE MOM"

The problem

CoorDown, Italy's Down syndrome association, had worked with Saatchi & Saatchi Italy on a World Down Syndrome Day campaign for three years running. The theme for 2014 was happiness, and everyone's right to pursue it.

The insight

It started with a single email sent to the association by a mother who had just learned, during pregnancy, that her child would have Down syndrome. Her question was simple and honest: what kind of life will my child have? The team realized that the most convincing answer to that question wouldn't come from expert statistics, but from people with Down syndrome themselves. That realization became the heart of the whole idea.

The idea

They brought together 15 people with Down syndrome from across Europe and had each one speak directly to a mother worrying about the child she hadn't met yet. Don't worry, I'll be able to run, I'll be able to hug people, I'll be able to say I love you. The film weaves these messages together through their faces and their voices.

What happened

At Cannes Lions 2014, the campaign won two Gold Lions and three Silver Lions in the Direct category, plus a Bronze Lion in Film. It became a viral hit, racking up more than 5 million views.

Afterthought

Both the concept and the direction feel like they found the shortest path to the right answer on the first try. There's real nerve in the simple idea of answering fear with the voices of the people living it — and in actually filming and editing all 15 of them properly. I heard it even sparked a debate in France over whether it should be allowed on air, which just shows how deeply it landed. It makes me genuinely think: advertising really can lighten someone's fears like this.

Awards

• Cannes Lions Gold 2014

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