Nationally recognizable, adored by children for generations, and a creative creation of Saatchi & Saatchi – The National Crime Prevention Council’s (NCPC) McGruff the Crime Dog is having his 30th birthday today. To celebrate the occasion, the Saatchi & Saatchi team has created an awesome reboot of the character and we’re happy to give you a first glimpse this morning.
The film, titled Samantha’s Choice, is debuting at a celebratory event at the Museum of Crime & Punishment (believe it!) in DC tonight by the president of the NCPC and our very own Scott Buckley. In it, the new and improved McGruff teaches kids how they can help prevent bullying, one of the most common issues faced by children every day. In fact, the , the 3 word method – Stop-Talk-Walk – can be effective for stopping bullies of all ages.
Recent NCPC research found that 160,000 children miss school every day out of fear of being bullied. Creatives here at Saatchi & Saatchi NY were charged with the task of creating an updated McGruff that could reach second and third grade kids and teach them how to cope with their situations. The film is the first step in a larger Circle of Respect Initiative that will be taught to kids around the country.
Samantha’s Choice is the work of co-creative directors Pat Giles and Manny Galan, and the film was one of the very first projects to be completed at the new in-house animation studio at Saatchi New York. They did a great job updating the look and feel enough to appeal to the average kid of 2010. So without further ado, check out Samantha’s Choice. Get your children to watch it, send it to your friends, family and neighbors.
Spread the word. McGruff is back.
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