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Childline “Nobody Is Normal” 2021

Childline “Nobody Is Normal” (2021) is a Childline commercial directed by Catherine Prowse for The Gate, produced by Blinkink. It won 25 awards, including Cannes Lions 2021 Film Craft Gold, D&AD 2021 Animation: Traditional Yellow Pencil and ADC*E 2021 Gold Film & Audio — Craft – animation, VFX, CGI and 3D.

A stop-motion animated boy, feeling like a monster, struggles to fit in at school until he embraces his true self at a school dance, realizing everyone is unique.

Video: Childline on YouTube

Shot by shot

  1. A dark, shadowy monster with long, thin arms emerges from a doorway, casting a long shadow on the floor, as seen from under a bed.© Childline0:00
  2. A stop-motion animated boy with blue hair pulls it off to reveal clay hair, looking distressed in his bedroom.© Childline0:07
  3. A stop-motion animated boy in a blue school uniform walks awkwardly in a school hallway, while two other students watch him.© Childline0:11
  4. A stop-motion animated boy in a blue school uniform and striped tie looks at another boy in a school hallway.© Childline0:18
  5. A stop-motion animated boy in a school uniform holds up a paper with a graph, then his body distorts and papers fly around him in a classroom.© Childline0:23
  6. A stop-motion animated boy with brown hair and a blue school uniform carries a lunch tray through a busy school cafeteria, surrounded by other students.© Childline0:31
  7. A stop-motion animated boy in a school uniform holds a lunch tray, looking sad in a busy school cafeteria.© Childline0:36
  8. Two stop-motion animated female figures stand on a stage, one in a pink dress holding flowers, the other in a purple dress holding a crown.© Childline0:43
  9. Two stop-motion puppets, one wearing a sash and holding flowers, the other holding a crown on a pillow, stand against a dark background with hanging letters.© Childline0:46
  10. A stop-motion puppet of a young male in a suit and bow tie stands among other puppets, looking around with a neutral expression in a dimly lit room.© Childline0:47
  11. A handmade, fabric puppet with large, wide eyes and a long, flat nose looks directly at the camera against a dark background with blurry shapes.© Childline1:01
  12. A group of diverse, colorful, and unique stop-motion monster puppets stand together in a dimly lit room with string lights, as if at a party.© Childline1:07

Stills © Childline. Made by The Gate, Blinkink and Catherine Prowse.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Embrace your inner monster, because nobody is normal.

Tagline: “NOBODY IS NORMAL”

lonely protagonistfeeling like an outsidertransformation sequenceschool dance climaxeveryone is uniquehidden identity

The cut

Length
79 s
Shots
30
Average shot
2.6 s
Format
stop motion

What creatives use Childline “Nobody Is Normal” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of Childline “Nobody Is Normal”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    A dark, shadowy monster with long, thin arms emerges from a doorway, casting a long shadow on the floor, as seen from under a bed.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy with blue hair pulls it off to reveal clay hair, looking distressed in his bedroom.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy in a blue school uniform walks awkwardly in a school hallway, while two other students watch him.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy in a blue school uniform and striped tie looks at another boy in a school hallway.© Childline
    Frames from Childline “Nobody Is Normal”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of Childline “Nobody Is Normal” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    A dark, shadowy monster with long, thin arms emerges from a doorway, casting a long shadow on the floor, as seen from under a bed.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy with blue hair pulls it off to reveal clay hair, looking distressed in his bedroom.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy in a blue school uniform walks awkwardly in a school hallway, while two other students watch him.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy in a blue school uniform and striped tie looks at another boy in a school hallway.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy in a school uniform holds up a paper with a graph, then his body distorts and papers fly around him in a classroom.© ChildlineA stop-motion animated boy with brown hair and a blue school uniform carries a lunch tray through a busy school cafeteria, surrounded by other students.© Childline
    Length: 79 s · Shots: 30 · Average shot: 2.6 s · Format: stop motion

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a lonely protagonist

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    Childline “Nobody Is Normal” is built on a lonely protagonist. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Epuron / German Ministry for the Environment “Power Of Wind”© Epuron / German Ministry for the EnvironmentErste Group “First Christmas”© Erste GroupLotería de Navidad “Justino”© Lotería de NavidadSpanish Lottery “Justino”© Spanish Lottery
    Epuron / German Ministry for the Environment · Erste Group · Lotería de Navidad · Spanish Lottery

More commercials by Catherine Prowse

More from The Gate

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  • Anglian Home Improvements "The Nation’s Favourite" (2026) commercial still© Anglian Home ImprovementsAnglian Home Improvements “The Nation’s Favourite” 2026Dir. Finn McGough · The Gate
  • Safestyle "Windows. Doors. No Drama" (2026) commercial still© SafestyleSafestyle “Windows. Doors. No Drama” 2026Dir. Tim James Brown · The Gate
  • Plan International UK "The Fine Print" (2026) commercial still© Plan International UKPlan International UK “The Fine Print” 2026Dir. Mary-Sue Masson · The Gate
  • Shell "Ferrari - Ever Changing Track" (2026) commercial still© ShellShell “Ferrari - Ever Changing Track” 2026Dir. Alessandro Pacciani · The Gate

Award-winning public service & ngo commercials

Questions

Who directed the Childline “Nobody Is Normal” commercial?

Catherine Prowse directed it, produced by Blinkink, for the agency The Gate.

Which agency made Childline “Nobody Is Normal”?

The Gate created it for Childline (2021).

What awards did Childline “Nobody Is Normal” win?

25 awards, including Cannes Lions 2021 Film Craft Gold, Cannes Lions 2021 Film Craft Gold (Animation), D&AD 2021 Animation: Traditional Yellow Pencil and D&AD 2021 Yellow Pencil — Animation / Traditional.

What is the tagline of Childline “Nobody Is Normal”?

“NOBODY IS NORMAL”

Sources for the credits and awards

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