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Melanie68 10-10-2005 02:03 PM

Interesting UNICEF Ad
 
I was browsing the blogs and found this link for an ad involving the Smurfs.

It's not funny and an interesting way to use cartoon characters. It will probably never see the light of day here in the U.S.

Intrepid Homoludens 10-10-2005 02:46 PM

That's a rather strange way of addressing issues...

Quote:

Belgian television viewers were given a preview of the 25-second film earlier this week, when it was shown on the main evening news. The reactions ranged from approval to shock and, in the case of small children who saw the episode by accident, wailing terror.

Unicef and the family company, IMPS, which controls all rights to the Smurfs, have stipulated that it is not to be broadcast before the 9pm watershed.

...The short film pulls no punches. It opens with the Smurfs dancing, hand-in-hand, around a campfire and singing the Smurf song. Bluebirds flutter past and rabbits gambol around their familiar village of mushroom- shaped houses until, without warning, bombs begin to rain from the sky.

Tiny Smurfs scatter and run in vain from the whistling bombs, before being felled by blast waves and fiery explosions. The final scene shows a scorched and tattered Baby Smurf sobbing inconsolably, surrounded by prone Smurfs.

The final frame bears the message: "Don't let war affect the lives of children."
It's a public service message for grownups using cute cartoon characters, am I right? My question is - is it not enough to show images of actual starving children in Nigeria, AIDS stricken babies in Africa, and tsunami survivor kids?

But perhaps it's because I'm not Belgian myself, and so might not have an innate understanding of how the culture there works.

RLacey 10-10-2005 02:49 PM

I actually wonder if this is a more effective message. It's very easy to switch off your mind when the television shows yet another "please donate" advert, but if it's an episode of the Smurfs...

artwking4 10-10-2005 02:58 PM

Finally got what's coming to them, those lousy, peace-loving Smurfs...:7 :devil:

Fraggles, you're next.:9

Intrepid Homoludens 10-10-2005 03:05 PM

LMAO, artsie!!!

Yeah, I never did get into the Smurfs. There was something sickening about their asphyxiating cuteness to me. Now if only they'd do the same with Barney and the Teletubbies..... http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/te...smiley-028.gif

Aj_ 10-10-2005 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie Lamoureux
We wanted something that was real war - Smurfs losing arms, or a Smurf losing a head -but they said no.

What kind of sickos are these people?
Spoiler:
I like it.

squarejawhero 10-10-2005 03:13 PM

We brits are very effective when it comes to public safety commercials and so on.

http://www.davidreviews.com/playmovie.asp?ID=2005091913
http://www.davidreviews.com/playmovie.asp?ID=2005082001
http://www.davidreviews.com/playmovie.asp?ID=2004031304
http://www.davidreviews.com/playmovie.asp?ID=2005090528

Yes... we're tough in this country.

Royal Fool 10-10-2005 05:57 PM

Here's a particularly chilling one: http://www.umferdarstofa.is/scripts/...t/795/30km.mov

Hamham Chan 10-11-2005 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens
It's a public service message for grownups using cute cartoon characters, am I right? My question is - is it not enough to show images of actual starving children in Nigeria, AIDS stricken babies in Africa?

Actually, in South African version of Sesame Street they have a Muppet with Aids.

What we need now is an animated Donnie Darko-esque Smurf gangbang film.
(or maybe not:frown: )

Avinash_Tyagi 10-21-2005 12:57 PM

Quote:

Yeah, I never did get into the Smurfs. There was something sickening about their asphyxiating cuteness to me. Now if only they'd do the same with Barney and the Teletubbies.....
Quote:

What we need now is an animated Donnie Darko-esque Smurf gangbang film.
You guys do realize this was done with the intent to shock people into noticing the horrors of war, rather then tuning them out like we normally do.

The stuff you guys are talking about fail to serve any such purpose, this wasn't intended to be shocking for the sake of shock, but to drive home a message.


Quote:

We wanted something that was real war - Smurfs losing arms, or a Smurf losing a head -but they said no.

What kind of sickos are these people?

Spoiler:
I like it.
Again, this was done to drive home a message, and the reason they didn't allow it to be more graphic was due to children who accidentally watched the short becoming even more traumatized. The same message can be spread without being overly graphic.

Quote:

It's a public service message for grownups using cute cartoon characters, am I right? My question is - is it not enough to show images of actual starving children in Nigeria, AIDS stricken babies in Africa, and tsunami survivor kids?

But perhaps it's because I'm not Belgian myself, and so might not have an innate understanding of how the culture there works.
Well no it isn't, people have stopped caring as much, you'll notice much more press about this than about kids dying in Africa.

Also I think that Belgium is like the place where the Smurf's creator Peyo was from, and so it has more meaning there.

Stroggy 10-21-2005 01:09 PM

Yes, I saw this ad recently, it was quite... unique.
Truth be told i only saw it on TV once or twice during the news (they were talking about the ad) but never again, perhaps I wasn't watching the right channels or perhaps they branded it as too cruel after all.

Avinash_Tyagi 10-21-2005 01:13 PM

Quote:

Yes, I saw this ad recently, it was quite... unique.
Truth be told i only saw it on TV once or twice during the news (they were talking about the ad) but never again, perhaps I wasn't watching the right channels or perhaps they branded it as too cruel after all.
It might be becaus its only shown at night, after 9, or it could be that since it basically gave some children who accidentally saw it nightmares they might have decided to pull it from further showing

Stroggy 10-21-2005 01:44 PM

Well I rarely watch TV, except for the news, some documentaries and the occasional movie.

fov 10-21-2005 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens
It's a public service message for grownups using cute cartoon characters, am I right? My question is - is it not enough to show images of actual starving children in

Apparently it's not:

Quote:

Philippe Henon, a spokesman for Unicef Belgium, said his agency had set out to shock, after concluding that traditional images of suffering in Third World war zones had lost their power to move television viewers. "It's controversial," he said. "We have never done something like this before but we've learned over the years that the reaction to the more normal type of campaign is very limited."
It sounds like a chilling and effective way to make the point, to me.


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