Soccer Helps a 6-Year Old Migrant Make New Friends in UNICEF's Heartwarming PSA

Getting to safety is just one challenge for some 50 million refugee and migrant children around the world. After that, they have to settle into their new lives—and face a new set of obstacles. A new ad from UNICEF looks at the story of one young boy, Santiago Ayon, who migrated from Bolivia to Spain at age 6. Now 8 years old, he recounts how soccer helped him make friends in his new home—where he won them over by stopping a goal with a header. It’s part of a new global initiative “What Excites Us Unites Us” that UNICEF launched on June 19th, World Refugee Day. The campaign comes against the backdrop of both the FIFA World Cup, and in the United States, an ongoing crisis over the separation of migrant children and their parents at the country’s southern border. [kickout id="1"] The 2-minute video—which also includes a surprise appearance from Spanish soccer star Sergio Ramos—is part of a broad multilingual campaign, created by agency 180LA, that aims to show how sport can bring the world together in support of the rights and well-being of refugee and migrant children. “A child uprooted may be called a refugee, an internally displaced person or a migrant. But first and foremost, a child is a child, no matter where they come from,” says Paloma Escudero, director of the division of communication at UNICEF. “Through the passion of football, this initiative shows that which unites us is stronger than any differences we might have.” Adds Cecelia Girr, strategist at 180LA. “We have worked with UNICEF for a number of years and felt that this time, it was important to take an uplifting, positive tone.” “We saw the current global football frenzy as the perfect opportunity to provide perspective about child migration in a hopeful, relatable, non-political way.” There are currently more children forcibly displaced by conflict—an estimated 30 million, according to UNICEF—than at any other time since the Second World War. While many PSAs focus on the harrowing circumstances children face escaping war torn regions and other forms of poverty and violence, the new ad is another important reminder that when they arrive in a more promising environment, the journey is far from over. Coinciding with the film, UNICEF is also launching the “longest goal challenge” on social media as a way to galvanize support for migrant and refugee children. In one clip, Ramos—captain of the Spanish national football team—challenges viewers to express their commitment to inclusivity by shooting a video of themselves practicing a timeless tradition—shouting “goaaaaaaal” for as long as possible—and sharing it on social media using the hashtags #LongestGoal and #WorldCup. The campaign website will feature compilation videos of longest goal submissions, as well as a quiz on World Cup trivia with a focus on migrant and refugee players. CREDITS Campaign: “What Excites Us, Unites Us” Agency: 180LA Client: UNICEF Director of Communications: Paloma Escudero Uprooted Campaign Lead: Marta Arias Digital Communications Specialist: Hugh Reilly Digital Communication Officer: Nicholas Ledner Senior Producer: Priyanka Pruthi Web Editor, Digital Strategy: Leah Selim Social Media Content Lead: Kavervir Sidhu Internal Communications Lead, Digital: Codi Trigger Ambassadors Manager, UNICEF Spain: Silvia Murias Sanchez Agency: 180LA Chief Creative Officer, CEO: Al Moseley Creative Directors: Brian Farkas, Tylynne McCauley Head of Production, Executive Producer: David Emery Strategist/ Producer: Cecelia Girr Digital Producer: Eric Shumny Account Manager: Cecelia Girr Account Manager: Marissa Mackel Director of Business Affairs: Loretta Zolliecoffer Copywriter: Marisa Milisic Art Director: Sarah Romanoff Jr. Art Director: Yugendu Vyas Jr. Copywriter: Caleb Couturie Content/ Editor: Johan Hesselgren Production Co.: Caviar Madrid Director: Carlos Luque DP: Jorge Roig Executive Producer: Alfonso Cazalilla Producer: Federico Tonizzo Shoot Location: Hortaleza, Madrid Shoot Date: May 15-16th, 2018 Editorial Company: Pixel Power Editor: Pablo Piriz Head of Production: Rob McCool Completion/Special Effects Colorist: Moving Picture Company Executive Producer: Meghan Lang Producer: Rebecca Boorsma Colorist: Dimitri Rajapakse Recording Studio: Beacon Street Studios Mixer: Amber Tisue Mix Producer: Kate Vadnais Digital Activation Company: MediaMonks Managing Director: Jason Prohaska Executive Integrated Producer: Simon Joseph