NSPCC’s new dancing dinosaur Pantosaurus proves a hit

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After years of relying on shock tactics to get their message across, children’s charity NSPCC is trying to put a positive spin on its branding.

The charity recently teamed up with Aardman – the studio behind the Wallace and Gromit films – to create a new animation aimed at four to eight-year-olds that is being shown in cinemas across the UK this month.

All about a pants-wearing dinosaur named Pantosaurus, the two-minute film teaches children that their bodies belong only to them and to talk to a trusted adut if they are worried.

The reason the video works is that it is an effective conversation-starter, enabling parents to discuss the issue of child abuse in a sensitive way.

“Parents know it’s an important conversation to have but don’t always know how to go about it,” said Peter Wanless, CEO of the NSPCC. “We hope our new child-friendly and catchy animation will act as a conversation starter helping parents to address the topic of sexual abuse without using scary words or even mentioning sex.”

The film has drawn much praise from individuals as well as other child-focused organisations.

As of August 20, the video had been viewed more than 1.5 million times on Facebook, YouTube and AOL, with 2.4 million adults and children watching films at cinemas where the advert has been shown.

There have also been more than 76,500 unique page views of the PANTS advice page.

“Humour, animation and music are a great way of making it less awkward for parents and young children to talk about this very difficult subject,” said Heather Wright, Executive Producer at Aardman. “The song has definite ‘earworm’ potential and I’m sure children will find it funny and memorable, which will, in turn, give them the language they need to use to protect themselves.”