Ogilvy Auckland and The Foundation for Youth Development release world-first TVC featuring young people making a tv ad about themselves

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Screen shot 2011-05-30 at 1.10.34 PM.pngThe Foundation for Youth Development take practical steps in addressing the high levels of negative youth statistics in New Zealand. Its programmes give life-skills, self-confidence, motivation and opportunities to young New Zealanders aged 5-18 years.

To demonstrate this, OgilvyAuckland  enlisted the help of children in FYD programmes, and got them to create the ad. Ogilvy and Robber’s Dog provided mentoring and guidance, but the children undertook the creative, direction, writing, filming and production themselves.

The Foundation for Youth Development was set up in 1995 by mountaineer Graham Dingle and lawyer Joanne Wilkinson. Inspired by his friend and climbing companion Sir Edmund Hillary, Dingle wanted to take a practical step forward to address high levels of negative youth statistics in New Zealand. Formerly known as Project K, FYD has grown into a leader in the field of youth development and now runs several, proven programmes that lift the skills, self-confidence, motivation and achievements of young New Zealanders aged 5-18 years.

Marketing and fundraising manager for the Foundation, Jenny Stiles, has an advertising background herself and took her proposal to get a TVC made for the Foundation to several different agencies around town looking for pro bono support. When she got to Ogilvy, they not only got very excited about the possibilities, but came up with a concept which involved the children who were part of the Foundation’s programmes creating a television commercial not only about themselves, but by themselves. Ogilvy provided mentoring, guidance and resources  but the children undertook the creative, direction, writing, filming and production themselves.  

“We’re just so grateful to Ogilvy, Robber’s Dog and the team they brought together to help us – we now have something that we can take to the people of New Zealand and to potential corporate sponsors to show them the great work we do to develop positive young New Zealand citizens,” she said.