HoHoHo.
Santa's Little Helpers is UNICEF UK's annual digital campaign, aimed at driving education with a young audience and awareness with their parents.
The campaign launched as a pretty cumbersome browser-based game in 2015. In 2016 + 2017, I lead the creative and evolved the concept, creating an engaging animated experience for young children with choose-your-own-adventure interactivity.
Once signed-up, children are asked to go on a journey with Santa, delivering gifts to children all over the world.
At each stage, a c.1minute video of Santa and his friendly little elf, Jingle, appear, then asking the children where and what they want to do next, presenting three options that give full control over the story.
They get to travel to countries such as war-torn Syria, the earthquake-struck Nepal, or drought-hit Madagascar. They are asked to provide a life-saving gift to a child in need, inspiring and educating young children about the countries and environments where others have less opportunity than they do.
The aim of the storytelling is to create a conversation between children and their parents, to shine a light on the wonderful work that charities such as UNICEF do all around the world for children in danger, inspiring donations around the time of year for reflection and giving.
Credits
Story + Script - Al Hutchison
Animation - Jack Brooks
Design - Yasmin El + Gem Fountain
Director + Producer - Al Hutchison
