Unileverâs âWhy bring a child into this world?â campaign sets out to make a difference

A Unilever video ad doing the rounds on the internet has become an instant viral hit, clocking up nearly two million YouTube views since it was posted on 20 November, which also happens to be Universal Children’s Day. The video marks the launch of Project Sunlight, a new Unilever initiative with huge ambitions – to help improve the lives of two million children across the globe.

It’s a timely reminder of how marketing can change lives, how a brand can grab people’s attention, inspire and move people to respond. The film touches a raw nerve in all of us by asking a difficult question that troubles many prospective parents: ‘Why bring a child into this world?’ It’s hard not to be moved by the four-minute video, a film within a film created by Ogilvy London and directed by Oscar-winning director Errol Morris.

Expectant parents across the world talk about their hopes and fears for their unborn child in a series of short interviews and look visibly shaken when they’re shown film footage of all that’s wrong with the world. We join the parents on an emotional rollercoaster – anxiety turns into hope for the future as the footage takes an optimistic turn and shows what we can achieve when we work together.

What I like about this film is how it turns a common anxiety into something positive by showing how we can all make a difference by coming together as a community to share ideas, knowledge and resources.

It’s also good to see how Unilever adds a powerful call to action at the end, inviting us to not only share the video but also get involved. The ‘Get involved’ button takes us to the Project Sunlight website where people around the world have uploaded clips about how they’re making a difference. In so doing, Unilever is creating a community of change-makers that we can be part of.

By Chris Combemale, Executive Director, DMA