Responses by Sean McBride, chief creative officer, Arnold Worldwide.

Background: Nearly 29 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetimes, yet the majority never receive treatment. Tragically, someone dies every 52 minutes from an eating disorder. Raising awareness is crucial to help more people receive the care they need.

The campaign primarily targets those who are quietly suffering but open to feeling seen. Eating disorders carry a heavy weight for those affected, but most suffer alone. While some are not ready to acknowledge the problem, we want to reach those who want to heal but are wavering on finding support due to the hold their eating disorder still has on them. And while our work should speak primarily to those suffering with an eating disorder, it’s also helpful to strike a chord with the people in their orbit—their support system—to educate and encourage action.

Design thinking: When we work on projects like this, I’m keenly aware of the direct relationship between the craft we bring to a project and its ability to reach the people it needs to reach. These stories needed to reflect real human experience. The audience needed to feel both seen and understood but never pandered or preached to.

Challenges: We had timing and budget for this one, but once everyone saw the work and heard what we were trying to do and who we were trying to reach, everyone jumped right in with no hesitation.

Favorite details: This is a story told through details, so there are many that we’re proud of. One example are the locations. They are so achingly familiar and authentic that they transport our audience to that place instantly and completely. In doing so, they immediately remove skepticism or distance, which then makes it possible to evoke so much emotion through just a few, well-chosen moments.

Visual influences: One reference point was the film Mid90s. It’s a shining example of how when you can capture a sense of place that completely and convincingly, it elevates everything else. The story can be small and subtle and still be deeply impactful.

Specific project demands: When you’re dealing with subject matter like this, the tone has to be exactly right. Your work can’t be so severe as to be triggering, nor can you storytell with so much care that it romanticizes your subject matter. Knowing that the success of the piece hinged on striking the exact right tone certainly makes things harder, but it’s also what makes creating something fun and rewarding. One thing that made the project immeasurably easier was our remarkable partners at Monte Nido who believe in the power of creativity every bit as deeply as we do.

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