Minderoo Foundation:

Molly’s TED Talk

Problem:

The volume of a child’s brain has reached 90% by the age of five, and the interactions children have in their early years can have a profound impact on their brain development and wellbeing throughout life. The brain science, however, can be overwhelming and confusing to well-meaning parents. We needed to demonstrate the simple yet life-changing things we can all do to help children thrive.

Solution:

From the mouths of babes - we created a world-first TED Talk delivered by a 7-year-old girl, Molly. As the world's youngest ever TED speaker, Molly was able to deliver a simple, clear message to parents around the globe: a game of peek-a-book really can change the world.

To ensure global reach, we worked with UNICEF to transcreate the talk for markets such as Afghanistan, Kenya and Indonesia, re-recording the content with local talent, in local language.

In a classic case of "it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission", we wrote the script in-house, found the talent, borrowed the TED sign and filmed the TED Talk - all without TED's involvement. TED famously doesn't do brand campaigns or collaborations, but when we shared the finished product with them, they loved it and took it upon themselves to push Molly's TED Talk out through their own channels.

Result:

It was the most watched TED Talk of 2021, and the most watched TED Talk on Instagram EVER- little Molly even beat out Bill Gates and Elon Musk.

Beyond the vanity metrics, this campaign delivered lasting impact that will change the world. 9/10 viewers surveyed committing to behaviour change after seeing the film.

Molly’s TED Talk has the potential to improve the health outcomes for children on a global scale.