BETC Paris launched a new 80-second PSA for Reporters Without Borders, highlighting the need for independent war reporters.
The spot begins with a montage of military pomp and circumstance from throughout history and around the world. North Korea’s dictator Kim Jon Il is present, along with Vladimir Putin, but so is George W. Bush, standing behind the infamous “Mission Accomplished” banner which seems more ridiculous with each passing year. Text reading “Without independent reporters, war would just be a nice show” sheds light on the footage and is followed by harrowing images of the victims of war. The gruesome imagery starts at around the same pace as the preceding marches and parades but quickly speeds up to the point where it’s impossible to follow, the implication being that the grim realities of war far outstrip the nationalistic charade seen earlier. The ad ends by calling on viewers to “Support those that risk their lives to bring us the truth” over shots of war journalists putting themselves in harms way to document these realities. It’s hard not to be moved by the message and we imagine that while many already are aware of the importance of war reporters, more than a few may be moved by the spot’s emotional impact into contributing to Reporters Without Borders.
Credits:
Client: Reporters Sans Frontières
Client Management: Christophe Deloire, Perrine Daubas, Caroline Pastorelli, Thibaut Bruttin
Agency: BETC
Agency Management: Catherine Emprin, Guillaume Espinet, Jeremy Taffin
Creative Directors: Stéphane Xiberras, Jean-Michel Alirol, Dominique Marchand
Art Director: Jean-Michel Alirol
Assistant Art Director: Pierre Orizet
Copywriter: Dominique Marchand
Traffic: Alexandra Chini
TV Producer: David Brakha
Production Company: Stink
Producer: Gregory Panteix
Director: Owen Trevor
Sound: Brendan Woithe @ Klang
Flame Artist: FASA @ ETC
Monteur: Ryan Boucher @MSE