For most children growing up, schools closing was what you wished for, those ever-fleeting snow days you were gifted filled with the excitement of a day to play, a day away from the classroom. But as the old adage goes, be careful what you wish for.

As the nationwide lockdown came into effect, schools across the country were closed indefinitely. Parents suddenly became teachers, siblings classmates as teachers scrambled to move everything to a virtual set-up. It was an impossible juggle for many.

But with schools opening back up, Kellogg’s chose to celebrate the new term with a new campaign showing one boy and his dad’s journey from lockdown to playground.

Created by K1, a customised Publicis Groupe team made up of Leo Burnett and Digitas, the ad opens with hand-drawn animation of what the pair got up to under lockdown, from lessons to fort building to chatting to grandma on video calls. The slot then moves to live film as we see the boy wolfing down his bowl of cereal and heading out to school, reassuring his dad that it’ll be alright, they can still have breakfast together.

A real father and son were cast in the roles to ensure the safety of the shoot while the animation was created by the Argentinian animator Dante Zaballa. Christine O’Brien, European Brand Director at Kellogg’s, said: “We felt that as the nation navigates this unique time, we needed to acknowledge the anticipation felt by families as they prepare their children to return to school.”

The beauty of the slot is that it acknowledges not only the excitement of the children to return but also the apprehension that many parents will feel as well. It brings levity to the situation as families navigate their way through unfamiliar and uncertain territory after months spent together at home.