NSPCC's online anguish

A new campaign for the NSPCC calls for greater action to protect children in online spaces as the UK government’s consultation on online safety enters its final stages. 

Called Shift Ctrl, and created by independent creative agency House of Oddities, the spot focuses on the interruptions that can happen during a teenager's everyday life, showing how online harm can intrude into ordinary experiences.

Directed by Ethan & Tom through Partizan, the 60‑second spot launches at a time when public concern about children’s online safety is intensifying and political attention is sharpening. New data from Childline, the NSPCC-run service, reveals that between April 2025 and March 2026 Childline delivered 2,444 counselling sessions about online child sexual abuse and exploitation, marking a 36% annual increase.

The spot was shot on 35mm film by BAFTA‑nominated DP Nick Morris, and directors Ethan & Tom pushed to capture as much as possible in-camera – from bespoke neon builds casting real light across the set, to large‑scale wind effects and practical environmental detail. Sound, too, plays a key role in the piece, opening with a track by PinkPantheress before transitioning into an original, analogue‑led score by Johnny Jewel.

“Online harms can chip away at a child’s sense of safety, confidence and control," said Sachini Imbuldeniya, CEO at House of Oddities. "It’s a big challenge to represent these concepts on-screen. We decided to lean into genres of sci-fi and fantasy, striking a balance between surreal digital spaces and the very real impact they can have in ‘our’ world. While the primary audience was adults, this gave us an opportunity to create something that would cross generations and resonate with teens too – with a contemporary visual style that could cut through the noise of an ad break and pull viewers in. Ethan & Tom brought an extraordinary level of craft and care to the project, creating something that feels both unsettling and deeply human at the same time.”