What makes this ad, which clocks in at merely one minute, such a great slice of storytelling? There are two narratives woven throughout the piece. First, there is the experience that young Alfie is living as an astronaut. His experience lights up the screen, and it is his story, or, at least, part of it. Second, there are the words Alfie speaks in the voiceover. The words of a child are, for the most part, inherently raw and honest, and Alfie’s are no exception. He tells the story of how his mother met a man who started out as nice but then became abusive toward him and his mum. But then, he tells us, the NSPCC came into their lives, and his mum told him they would be okay. All the while, we see Alfie living out his dream of being an astronaut.
“I don’t think I’m the only person who responds better to hope and solutions than to guilt. I know both are effective, but the guilt approaches always make me feel a bit rubbish as a member of the human race. I leave situations like that. Ones where there is hope though… I stay to see what else I can do.”
What the ad shows us is a young boy who temporarily lost his childhood, along with the joy, dreams, and feeling of safety that came with it. But then, toward the end, we see hope emerge from his tragedy, and that in turn gives us hope. The NSPCC has intervened and given Alfie his childhood back, along with joy, dreams, safety, and hope that everything will be okay. Doesn’t his story of how the NSPCC impacted his young life make you want to want to be part of the solution?
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