Splash Foundation
Make a Splash - Brand Video
Over half the world population does not know how to swim. Splash Foundation believes we can change that. In 2023 we’ve partnered with them to offer a testimony to the life-changing impact of learning to swim, with a documentary-style brand video and an animated video for their youth programmes.
From the start, it was clear that one of the key principles for this project revolved around authenticity. And if shooting underwater wasn’t challenging enough, we’ve decided to take the painstaking route of shooting it documentary style, putting only the beneficiaries in front of the cameras, instead of feeding beautifully scripted words to the founders.
That meant interviewing a huge amount of kids, parents, domestic helpers and coaches to only be able to carve out small bits of heartfelt soundbites and then weave them together in post to create a story. The result offers a testimony to the life-changing impact of learning to swim.
Joe - Youth Programme Ad
We were then tasked with creating a promotional video for Splash Youth Programmes, we knew we had a challenge on our hands. We needed to appeal to a diverse audience: parents, young kids, SEN students and teenagers, each with unique needs. Parents wanted a safe, inclusive environment for their children to learn swimming, while kids craved fun, age-appropriate activities. Teenagers, often self-conscious about learning to swim later in life, didn't want to be grouped with younger children.
We needed a universal, aspirational story to bridge these gaps. And during our brainstorming sessions with the Splash team, we discovered Joe’s story. Joe, an 18-year-old swimming coach and former SEN student, had learned to swim in his teens and eventually became a coach. His journey from non-swimmer to coach embodied the aspirational, real-life hero we sought.
We chose to animate Joe’s story to make it relatable and engaging for all viewers. Collaborating closely with Joe, we wrote the script and used his voice for the narration, ensuring authenticity. Inspired by the ending credits of "Spiderman: No Way Home," we used sketchbook-style animations and mixed-media collage to mimic a student’s notebook, emphasizing Joe’s role as a real-life superhero. Through this approach, we aimed to inspire all Splash students to achieve their own swimming superpower.
Everyone Can Swim - YouTube Series
An estimated 4.4 billion people don’t know how to swim, the majority of whom are women. Splash Foundation believes everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to swim. As we may not be able to reach everyone physically, in 2021 Splash asked us to produce a series of video tutorials to give people from under-resourced communities the opportunity to learn virtually.
The 7 videos from the series attracted more than 2 million combined views on Youtube!