The cancer support charity gets a new branding direction in this evocative, heartfelt ad from AMV BBDO with VFX from MPC.

In a series of narratives that are heart-breaking and heart-warming, Tender and Tough shows the highs and lows of working with cancer patients, survivors, and their families. The moment where a nurse watches as a woman begins to slowly break down while standing next to a relative on a hospital bed is where I had to reach for the tissues.

During the second lockdown, our London teams worked with the beautiful imagery contrasted by heart-wrenching and powerful scenes, directed by Jonathan Alric through Iconoclast, with VFX led by Lora Nikolaeva and colour grade by Matthieu Toullet. The track is Spring 1 by acclaimed pianist Max Richter. This is a no-holds-barred film that reminds people that cancer appearances didn’t halt when Covid appeared.

Lora said:

“The grade has worked to enrich what was captured in camera as well as adding a warmth and sense of hope to an environment that would usually be perceived as cold and sterile. The VFX work is subtle and considered working with the visuals to highlight and contrast key moments in the scene, such as the reveal of the woman’s vibrant tattoo alongside her surgical scar.”