Snack Brand MadeGood Recruits Kids to 'Un-Wreck the Future'

A short film from healthy snack brand MadeGood opens on five diverse school-age friends soaking up TV news reports about climate change and food insecurity.

"How are we gonna fix the planet?" one girl asks in the two-minute spot, developed by Toronto agency Broken Heart Love Affair and director Michael Clowater. 

"It's wrecked already," a pal replies. "You can't just un-wreck something that's wrecked."

"What other choice do we have?"

"Die?"

"We need to be positive."

"OK, I'm positive we're going to die."

The quirky conversation continues as the youths walk and bike around town, mulling ways to ensure proper nutrition for the world's nearly 8 billion inhabitants.

Some of their brainstorms include:

• Growing outlandishly large produce, like the 1,000-pound pumpkins that win ribbons at county fairs.
• Mandating that food producers keep meal banks stocked at all times.
• Charging the super-rich <I>billions</I> for granola bars.
• Hiding vegetables inside sugary cakes and pies.
• Freezing all of humanity for 1,000 years "to give Earth time to heal."

By the time they hit on the idea of asking advanced alien life-forms for help, most viewers will get the message: There are no snappy solutions or quick fixes for the planet's woes. We'll have to pull together and stay vigilant to "Un-Wreck the Future" and build a brighter tomorrow. Having tough conversations and exploring all options (no matter how silly they seem) are important steps worth taking.

"We loved the idea of kids taking control, unlimited by adult logic and cynicism—that's when beautiful things happen," Jay Chaney, partner and strategy chief at Broken Heart Love Affair, tells Muse. "At the same time, we believe that it is an interesting commentary on the global situation, that those with the least amount of power have some of simplest but most powerful ideas."  

Indeed, today's teens and pre-teens are increasingly well-informed, goal-oriented and passionate about working for the greater good. Perhaps their generation will reverse decades of troubling trends and improve life for countless millions struggling against hunger every day.

Toward that end, MadeGood issued a call to action, inviting U.S. and Canadian kids to share minute-long videos about their efforts to supports the cause. Each participant will receive a box of the brand's snacks, and MakeGood will provide $125,000 in cash and in-kind donations to select local organizations.

"We have an obligation to do our part for the betterment for the world," says company brand manager Milana Kleidman. "This campaign is both an introduction to our core values and an open invitation for all of us to share ideas and energy."

Some might find the creative approach too on the nose. Clearly, it's preaching to the choir, but the appealing young performers keep it real. Director Clowater took the cast go-carting and to a batting cage before the shoot to foster cohesion. Indeed, it does feel like we're watching a group of friends. There's optimism here, but also a sparse style that creates subtle hints of yearning and unease.  

"The hill where we shot the intergalactic S.O.S. is actually a man-made hill over a landfill," recalls Broken Heart creative director Spencer Dingle. "So, the kids are sending out the S.O.S. from on top of an actual pile of garbage, which was quite fitting for the emotional context of the message."

Some of the lines might feel improvised, but the appeals "were almost completely scripted," Dingle says. "We felt it was important to have a very structured script and to stick to it—particularly when moving between locations—to create the idea of one big, long conversation."

You can view more campaign elements here. The work breaks today on TV, digital platforms and in cinemas across North America.

CREDITS

Campaign Title: Un-Wreck The Future 

Client: MadeGood
Senior Director, Marketing: Wade Crouch
Brand Manager: Milana Kleidman
Assistant Brand Manager: Ilana Lander

Agency: Broken Heart Love Affair
Partners, Chief Creative Officers: Carlos Moreno, Denise Rossetto, Todd Mackie
Partner, Chief Strategy Officer: Jay Chaney
Partner, Chief Business Officer: Beverley Hammond
Creative Directors: Jordan Hamer, Spencer Dingle
Copywriter: Jordan Hamer
Art Director: Spencer Dingle
Designer: Yan Li
Agency Producer: Sumit Ajwani/ Sarah Lasch
VP, Client Success: Joline Matika
Account Supervisor: Maddy Cassidy

Production Company: Radke Film Group
Director: Michael Clowater
Executive Producer: Dan Ford
Producer: Gill Gardner
Director of Photography: Tico Poulakakis

Edit House: Saints
Editor: Brian Williams
Assistant Editors: Nick Coleman, Corinne Grans-Wood
Executive Producers: Tory Osler, Bobbi Dedman

Casting: Powerhouse Casting
Casting Director: Andrew Hayes

VFX and Colour House: Darling
Colourist: Kassi Bellamy
Colour Assistant: Will Culverwell
VFX Artist: Paul Binney
VFX Assistant: Alyssa Schmidt
VFX Producer: Morgan Campbell
VFX Executive Producers: Cheyenne Bloomfield, Christine Tsao

Audio house: OSO Sound
Sound Supervision & Mix Daenen Bramberger
Sound Design: Eric Van Mil

PR, Media, Web, Digital 
url: unwreckthefuture.com
Agency: Lifelong Crush w/ Hype (CAD PR), Coast (US PR), Epitaph (Media)
Creative Directors: Mark Rozeluk
Copywriter: Sasha Downer
Designer: Yan Li
Motion Graphics Designer: James Paznar
EVP, Managing Director: Caroline Kilgour
Account Supervisor: Maddy Cassidy