Start With Connection

Client:

Partnership to End Addiction

CGI/VFX

Title:

Start With Connection

Client:

Partnership to End Addiction

CGI/VFX

Title:

Start With Connection

Client:

Partnership to End Addiction

CGI/VFX

Overview

Award-winning animation: "Ending Addiction Starts With Connection".

This project was an award-winning animation campaign created for the Partnership to End Addiction, in collaboration with Dimassimo Goldstein. The core goal: to encourage parents and guardians by showing that ending addiction starts with connection. Saddington Baynes provided high-craft CG and animation expertise, delivering an animated film and an accompanying print campaign.

Highlights

Promoting Connection For Addiction recovery.

Visual Storytelling with Relatability: We used CG-created wooden figures to design characters that felt immediately relatable while evoking a sense of nostalgia. This inclusive approach ensured viewers could connect with the message, avoiding the reaction, "Well, that's not me".

Flawless Creative Execution: The powerful animation was complemented by the licensed use of The Lumineers' song, "Salt and the Sea," creating a deeper, more meaningful emotional connection. This execution contributed to the campaign's multiple prestigious awards.

Strategic Problem-Solving: The primary challenge was driving total awareness for the newly merged organisation, the Partnership to End Addiction. The animation served as the campaign's hero asset, effectively amplifying the emotion and scope of the support they provide.

Process

Behind the scenes

At the start of any major campaign, clients often ask how early we define visual feasibility. Our involvement began with Concepting, where we quickly prototyped the idea of using wooden figures. This material choice was key; it balanced the need for characters to be simple and relatable against the high-craft look required for an award-winning film. We ensured the cast of characters and situations felt inclusive, paying special attention to ensuring universal relatability.

Concept Development & Look Exploration

Multi-Channel Adaptation

Agencies frequently ask how SB ensures consistency across deliverables and variations, especially across different media. The foundation of the wooden figures, established in CG, meant we could effortlessly carry the exact same visual language from the long-form animation into the supporting print campaign. This strategic consistency ensured a unified brand message regardless of channel, and delivered a scalable approach that optimised the workflow to maximise value.