Unicef bomb the Smurfs in shocking new campaign

October 2005

Who would have thought that bombing the Smurf Village would cause such a stir? References to Smurfs in websites and blogs these days generally consist of someone poking fun at the little blue guys, rehashing the old joke about what happens if you choke a smurf, discussing the various smurf communist theories, or they simply question whether anyone actually remembers the Smurfs? Well the strong reaction to the Unicef Smurf bombing campaign has certainly proved that the Smurfs are far from forgotten!

The Unicef Smurf Video

So what exactly is so shocking about this Unicef smurf video? Well it starts out like any other day in the Smurf Village, Smurfs are dancing, playing smurf music, butterflies are fluttering through the air, and the Smurf song plays in the background, a familliar Smurfy scene. But suddenly bombs start falling, smurfs are running for cover, smurf mushroom houses are being blown up and basically the scene is carnage. The scene closes with Baby Smurf left wailing by a very dead Smurfette. Some people say it is too shocking, others say it is ridiculous, but one thing is true, Unicef have certainly gained an extraordinary amount of publicity from this, what some would call, ingenious idea. IMPS, who license the Smurf products, have stipulated that this smurf video must not be shown before the 9pm watershed on television so as to avoid upsetting smurf loving children.

The message behind the Unicef Smurfs Video

So obviously Unicef aren't bombing the Smurfs just for the fun of it, there is a very serious message behind this campaign and that is: -

"Don't let war affect the lives of children."

The Smurfs lead such an idyllic life, they are secure in the knowledge that there is only one "baddy" in their world and that is the evil Gargamel although obviously his evil cat Azrael also deserves a mention!. That is the beauty of the Smurfs, that they are truly "good" and in times of trouble Papa Smurf is always on hand to put things right. Such simplicity rarely occurs in modern children's animation today and this is why Unicef using the Smurfs for this campaign really is quite inspired. Children grow up so quickly today and it is very easy to forget just how innocent they really are. If you watch a child aged four or five playing, they won't be concerned about the colour of their skin, or language barriers, and they don't discriminate against children with disabilities. Like "The Smurfs", children are generally innocent, and we do have a duty to protect them. Society seems to have decided that Smurfs are "uncool" but perhaps their message is more powerful than we think, otherwise this campaign by Unicef would not have caused such a furore. So as well as appreciating Unicef's message to protect children everywhere from facing the horrors of war, perhaps we should look at our values in general, and not encourage our children to grow up so quickly?