There are certain projects that offer a sense of pride, regardless of how they’re received in the industry. In fact our favourite work is often defined not by the number of awards it receives, but by how emotionally invested we are in the idea.
Of course, the sweetspot is a project that ticks both those boxes – stirring, important, impactful work that also turns heads and gets the recognition it deserves. Missed Birthdays for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) is one such project, and we’re not going to miss the opportunity to shout about it.
Deservedly, Missed Birthdays has picked up a glut of industry awards, including three Cannes Lions, three D&AD pencils and a Campaign Big Award.
From the outset, we knew this was an issue we wanted to throw our weight behind. The statistics alone were shocking - almost 7,000 youth suicides in the UK over the past ten years, the biggest single cause of death for 15- to 34-year-olds.
Visualising data like this is a big responsibility. And working with creative agency Adam&EveDDB, we stress tested several options before settling on one that would give the campaign the sense of scale and poignancy that it required. We’re incredibly proud of the results and the impact of the campaign.
“Our installation at Westfield for Calms "Missed Birthdays” Campaign simply would not have been possible without Creative Giants. They delivered this incredibly emotive project with grace, sensitivity & a large dose of technical alchemy. We cannot thank or praise them enough.
Their contribution was not only instrumental in helping Adam&Eve win Campaigns Agency of the Year but more importantly it reminded the world that creativity even on the most darkest of subjects, can be both powerful & profoundly thought provoking. Their brilliance proves that when imagination leads with heart, extraordinary things follow.
Creative Giants by name Creative Giants by nature”
Nikki Cramphorn, Adam&EveDDB
Each of the 6,929 balloons in the installation represents the death of one person through suicide. A ‘Missed Birthday’. The result is a powerful and haunting tribute to lost opportunities, family grief and the sheer scale of a mental health epidemic.
Our relationship with both the charity and creative agency Adam&EveDDB goes back 7 years and has seen us work on several experiential projects, including Project 84. This was another high profile tribute that installed 84 life sized sculptures of men on the roof of the ITV building in London, representing the number of men who died from suicide in the UK each week.
“These are projects where we will always go the extra mile, as we believe in the cause and what each party does to make it a success.”
Simon Vaughan, Creative Giants
We’re proud of our working relationship with CALM and Adam&EveDDB, and can’t wait to create more innovative, eye-catching and important work in the future. You can read more about our involvement in Missed Birthdays here.
