New work: Barney Cokeliss x NHS

Mad Cow Films director Barney Cokeliss has re-teamed with M&C Saatchi to create another eye-catching film for the NHS - this time to encourage people to get in touch with their GP early if they're worried they might have cancer.

Barney has followed up the critical success of his ‘Hands’ heart attack campaign with an atmospheric and touching film about a man who becomes dislocated from his friends, workmates and surroundings, as he obsesses over the possibility that he has cancer. 

The man's worry is represented by an antique jack-in-the-box (unseen by anyone else) which he takes with him everywhere he goes. He can’t help cranking its handle, so we assume that he’s shortly in for a nasty surprise. The time spent worrying about this box impacts on his mental health, his relationships and work life, as days pass in a blur of self-absorption and distraction.

It is only when he plucks up the courage to go to see his GP that we find that the box is empty and his fears are groundless. 

With the strap line of “Finding out sooner is always better”, it’s an important piece of communication to get us to address our health worries so that we can either be reassured or treated early.

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