Tag: School Kids

  • With Otrivin’s ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ initiative, school kids write open letters addressing the rising pollution

    With Otrivin’s ‘Pollution Capture Pencils’ initiative, school kids write open letters addressing the rising pollution

    Mumbai: This Children’s Day, Otrivin Breathe Clean encourages adults to take a pause to listen to the voices of children and give them this special gift: the gift of breathing clean. Otrivin Breathe Clean brings to life this initiative of 1000 open letters, written by children using a special pencil, through a campaign designed by Grey Group.

    Otrivin’s Actions to Breathe Cleaner programme recently announced the launch of a new initiative called “Pollution Capture Pencils,” which turned pollution waste by-products into pencils for children.

    As a part of this initiative, Otrivin Breathe Clean installed twenty-two sustainable and self-cleaning air purifiers to improve the air quality of approximately one thousand school children. The pollution residue collected from these air purifiers was then mixed with graphite to create “Pollution Capture Pencils.” These specially produced and designed pencils were used by school children in Delhi NCR to write over 1,000 open letters to adults, urging them to take small actions to help them breathe better.

    Through these 1,000 open letters, children have shared their pollution stories with the world, talking about how air pollution is impacting their lives and what small steps they are taking as young kids to make this world a better place. The heartwarming letters share personal incidents and anecdotes from these children’s lives. The “Pollution Capture Pencils” are acting as instruments of change for the school children.

    A common thread binding the words of over a thousand children is a desire to live in a pollution-free environment and a wish that every individual make small amends to build a better future. Children also urge adults to take small yet impactful actions like participating in a tree-planting drive, turning off their cars while waiting at a red light, or commuting using public transportation.

    Otrivin Breathe Clean is committed to helping people breathe better, and this initiative is a step towards bolstering this commitment. The Actions to Breathe Cleaner initiative is attempting to bring air pollution to the forefront of Indian citizens’ minds by not only highlighting the problems it causes, but also by suggesting simple everyday actions that can combat it.

    Haleon India subcontinent pain and respiratory health lead Bineet Jain said, “Rising levels of air pollution in Indian cities are a big problem, and children are one of the most vulnerable groups exposed to it. The “Pollution Capture Pencils” have been used as instruments of change by children to express themselves through heartwarming letters. The letters make us realise the world that we live in through the eyes of children. These letters struck a chord with me, and I am sure they will appeal to everyone at large. If each one of us can take a small action to breathe cleaner, then together we will make this a better world for our future generations.”

    Grey Group India chief commercial officer and managing director Sandipan Bhattacharyya added, “When a message for change comes from the ones who contribute the least to pollution but are the worst affected, it’s bound to be compelling. This is a campaign to trigger introspection and action. So, we hope these letters from children, written with pencils made from carbon extracts from polluted air, make each one of us take a small step for change.”

    The initiative doesn’t end just yet. It will continue to take the “Actions to Breathe Cleaner” programme to greater heights. Otrivin Breathe Clean will soon announce upcoming events and developments.

  • PBS Kids to revamp animation on Go! block

    PBS Kids to revamp animation on Go! block

    MUMBAI: Concrete Pictures has been tapped by Us pubcaster PBS to refresh the entire graphics packaging for the Go! programming block on PBS Kids, a late afternoon block launched in October 2004 and designed entirely for early elementary school kids.

    PBS Kids worked with the creative agency to develop the original packaging into a fully 3D environment in which a cast of children interacts with animated elements in different ways.

    The complete branding package, which also includes a series of 12 live-action interstitials recently produced by Concrete Pictures, is the latest assignment in the company’s ongoing relationship with PBS Kids, and rolls out to PBS member stations in spring 2007, states an official release.

    “We were looking to refresh the current PBS Kids Go! graphics but keep the same look and feel that early elementary school kids have come to love and enjoy,” said PBS Senior creative director John Ruppenthal. “By working with Concrete Pictures, we were able to accomplish this and offer kids a new environment that will still be familiar to them.”

    The PBS Kids Go! package consists of IDs, character and customizable next-ons, system cues, promo buttons, lower thirds, backgrounds and transitions. The project involved a large live-action shoot with children shot against a green screen. In the end, the live-action elements were composited into a 3D CGI environment, which gave the kids a seemingly magic ability to manipulate their surroundings.

    “Working with the kids was one of the best parts of this project,” said Concrete Pictures’ creative director Matt Hall. “They were terrific and took direction exceptionally well considering that green screen acting isn’t always the easiest to explain. We were also happy to work with the PBS Kids team again, as they are always open to our interpretations of their existing creative.”

    The branding package incorporated Cinema 4D and Maya with compositing accomplished using After Effects, adds the release.