Save the Children is getting in on the unboxing game. But not in the way you might expect.
Save the Children’s “Biggest Unboxing Surprise EVER!!” video series features three unsuspecting children unboxing what they think are the latest and greatest toys. But when the contents are revealed – a positive pregnancy test, an ammunition belt and a pick axe with rubble – the children are shocked and confused.
Released on 31st May 2017 to commemorate International Children’s Day and in conjunction with Save the Children’s first annual End of Childhood Report “Stolen Childhoods,” the videos take a hard look at the events – or childhood “enders” – such as adolescent pregnancy, extreme violence and child labor that rob one in four children worldwide of their childhoods.
“Unboxing videos have become incredibly popular over the past several years, particularly with kids,” said Dan Jividen, vice president and creative director of Weber Shandwick, the global communications and engagement firm, which helped conceive the idea for the video series with Save the Children. “By turning the genre on its head and having kids unbox items that represent the end of childhood for millions of children around the world, we were able to capture some authentic and emotional reactions – and bring some much-needed attention to this global issue.”
The report also ranks 172 countries comparing the best and worst places in the world for children to have a safe, secure and healthy childhood. The ranking is based on eight crucial life events, including mortality under the age of five, stunted growth due to malnutrition, lack of education, forced labor, child marriage, teenage pregnancy, displacement by conflict and child homicide. Norway and Slovenia are tied for first whereas Niger is ranked the lowest. The United States ranks 36th. A separate index lists where childhood is most threatened in the United States state-by-state with New Hampshire at the top and Louisiana at the bottom.
“Childhood should be a time for kids to play, learn and develop to their full potential,” said Carolyn Miles, president & CEO of Save the Children. “Too many children are robbed of this chance long before they reach 18. Our unboxing videos bring these childhood “enders” to life and expose the harsh realities for at least a quarter of the world’s children. The global community must do better to ensure no child misses out on their childhood and that every last child gets the future they deserve.”
To view and share the videos, please visit YouTube. To read the full report as well as country and state rankings, visit www.endofchildhood.org.
Links
https://www.savethechildren.net/
