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PUBLISHED
Sep 06, 2023
WORDS
Matt Roach
Moving Diana Award ‘back-to-school’ film shows harsh reality of bullying
Purpose agency Revolt has created an integrated campaign for charity The Diana Award to highlight just how many young people experience physical and mental abuse at school.
Back to school means bullying for many
With this insight, Revolt has created the ‘Back To Bullying’ campaign with a 45” hero film depicting the darker reality experienced by millions of pupils when they return to school.

Made in partnership with Agile Films and directed by Lucy Bridger, the film depicts a boy on his way to school being tormented by bullies.
Cheerful music and on-screen supers showing the prices of their uniforms sit in stark contrast to the heart-wrenching scenes that unfold.

As part of the campaign, Revolt has also created a display in Westfield – Europe’s largest shopping centre – featuring child mannequins in school uniforms, posed in scenes of violence and bullying.

The display stunned shoppers over the bank holiday weekend, where it launched with an in-person appearance from Great British Bake Off 2023 finalist Sandro Farmhouse.

Other celebrity ambassadors supporting the charity campaign include: actors Will Poulter and Cel Spellman, actress Danielle Harmer, children’s ITV presenter Tillie Amartey, and singers James Okulaja and Zak Abel.
The Back To Bullying film will run online and across digital out of home. The lead media partners for the campaign are Ocean Outdoor, Metro and Westfield.

Alex Holmes, Deputy CEO of The Diana Award, said: “While we are bombarded with back-to- school adverts that depict happy, giggling kids returning to the classroom, these alarming research results reveal a stark alternate reality for many children who are frightened to go back to school.

“We want to connect young people, parents and teachers to help stamp out bullying and encourage people to contact the charity and seek out our resources on ways to help.”

Orlando Warner, Lead Creative at Revolt, said: “The reality of bullying in school is a worrying problem that we wanted to address with impactful creative.

Our film challenges the stereotypes of back-to-school advertising to highlight the violence, whether physical or emotional, experienced by pupils and the important work of The Diana Award.

This unsettling campaign was written and art directed by Creative Directors Sarah Levitt and Matt Roach and is the first work to come out of Revolt since their arrival in the summer.”

Watch the video here
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