For CF Awareness Month in May, local indie Energi and global heavyweight creative Andy Lish of Lishy developed a new platform for Cystic Fibrosis NZ, CruelNeedsKind.
Cystic Fibrosis is a pretty cruel condition, diagnosed at birth for whole of life with the average life ending under 40 years of age. That is a long time to be ill, and for most families a long time to ensure that life is lived to its fullest. It the hard road life, not an easy street.
The brainchild of Energi, the campaign was inspired by three, simple yet powerful words: CRUEL NEEDS KIND.
Louise Bentley, Director at Energi says: “From the briefing, we knew we needed a non-sugar-coated revealing and truthful approach to get to and cut to the core of how unfair CF is as a condition, and why we need to raise funds. It is a condition from birth for whole of life. Whole of life, for most is under 40.
“Simultaneously, Cystic Fibrosis NZ is dealing with the unfair systemic problem of obtaining an effective treatment available in most countries around the world that improves the daily lives of those with CF, just not available in New Zealand.”
Simon Mark-Brown of Republic Films directed the 60 second TVC with the music and song composed by 17-year-old Chloe Lorentzen, whose star is on the rise in the UK. The crafting and editing was done by Mark-Brown, with the support of Kaleidoscope and Post Production Sound to get the beautifully told story into the lounge rooms of New Zealanders. The original deliberate acts of kindness from each of their businesses as a donation to the cause of raising awareness of this cruel condition.
“Continuing the theme, we also sought deliberate acts of kindness from our industry partners, and ‘wow’ did they ever deliver: Simon Mark-Brown of Republic Films, NZME and MediaWorks, Lumo Billboards and TVNZ to help bring the CF plight to life,” says Bentley.
Lishy is now father to FRED Bear, the new CF proxy for kindness. “What a thrilling ride this project has been. I have had a long and sometimes successful, often chequered career. I can say, in all truth that this has probably been THE MOST REWARDING campaign I ever wrote and worked upon as part of a fine team. I nearly didn’t, but I would not have missed it for the world. It is a masterclass of integrated marketing by Energi, with a tad of help from me,” says Lish.
Lorentzen says that she felt compelled to create a song to encompass the cruelty at an intimacy level of parent and child. Written in her bedroom, then produced at the Abbey Rd studios in London within five days, BREATHE is available for all to download from Spotify or cruelneedskind.org.nz.
Lisa Burns, Chief Executive of Cystic Fibrosis NZ says: “Hands have stretched across the world with these incredible and selfless Deliberate Acts of Kindness, inspired by the cruel realities of cystic fibrosis and the courage of our CF community.”
It’s a cruel twist of fate that brings CF to newborn life. Two loving parents, who by ill luck carry the same CF gene. In New Zealand one person in 25 carries the cystic fibrosis gene, usually without knowing it.
When two people who carry the CF gene have a child together, there is a 25 percent chance that the baby will be born with cystic fibrosis. Of the more than 50,000 babies born in Aotearoa each year, all will undergo the heel prick test to determine if a CF gene is detected. Up to 10 of these new babies will be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
Families living with cystic fibrosis face an immense emotional, physical, and financial toll every single day. Kareena and Josh Sneddon parents of a two-year-old with cystic fibrosis say: “CF is always first. It rules every decision, it affects everyone, siblings and even the wider family. It’s constant mental strain; calculating and administering medication, appointments, ordering supplies and communicating with medical professionals. It’s like a heightened sense of fight or flight, but it’s always fight as you strive to keep her healthy. Birthdays are tainted with the grief that this progressive condition will only get worse, take more of a hold. You don’t want them to grow up.”
Cystic fibrosis is CRUEL, and it can be hard to hold on to hope and find the joy during difficult and often life-threatening times. KINDNESS can work wonders.
Today, May 27 marks Deliberate Acts of Kindness Day, so do your bit and be a little kinder.
