NSPCC unveils ‘Shift Ctrl’ demanding a safer online world for children

Created by House of Oddities, ‘Shift Ctrl’, calls for greater action to protect children in online spaces as the Government’s consultation on online safety enters its final stages.

Rolling out nationwide from May 15th, the campaign is led by a 60‑second TVC conceived by House of Oddities to demonstrate how online harms can severely disrupt children’s everyday lives. 

'Shift Ctrl' launches at a moment when public concern about children’s online safety is intensifying and political attention is sharpening, and with good reason. 

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. 

These figures reflect a wider picture of online harms which have increased by 30% compared to the year before. Shift Ctrl shows what is at stake for children online, reinforcing the seriousness and urgency of the issue at a point where real change is possible.

The campaign is targeted at parents and is designed to ensure that the grim reality of what children are being exposed to online cannot be ignored. The hero film was produced by Partizan and directed by Ethan & Tom through a tightly coordinated blend of traditional film craft and post‑production precision. 

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. 

Shot on 35mm by BAFTA‑nominated DOP Nick Morris, these physical elements were then seamlessly extended by Framestore’s VFX, creating a world that remains tangible even as it shifts into the surreal. Sound plays a key role in grounding the work. 

The film opens with a track by PinkPantheress, following her previous collaboration with Ethan & Tom on Illegal, before transitioning into an original analogue‑led score by Johnny Jewel (Chromatics), adding texture and emotional depth. The hero film focuses on the interruption of everyday teenage life, showing how online harms can intrude into ordinary day-to-day experiences. 

It is deliberately emotional, underlining the need for immediate action to better protect children.

Kevin Yeates, Head of Brand and Marketing at NSPCC, said: “Our campaign reveals how online harm intrudes into children’s everyday lives, even in moments that appear safe. Ordinary settings are disrupted by dark, digital forces symbolising abuse, coercion and control, visualised through glowing keyboard commands that strip children of agency. Resolution only comes when an adult or peer steps in, reinforcing the message that the current system is failing children.

The film raises the alarm at a national scale, positioning NSPCC as demanding a safer online world for children.” Sachini Imbuldeniya, CEO, House of Oddities, added: “Online harms can chip away at a child’s sense of safety, confidence and control.

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.” The campaign runs from 15 May to 31 May. The 60” hero film will appear in cinemas, with a 30” cut‑down running across on‑demand TV services including Sky, All 4 and ITVX, alongside social media platforms Meta, TikTok and YouTube.

Credits

Client - NSPCC
Head of Brand and Marketing - Kevin Yeates
Creative - Sue Nash, Max Hartley, Beth Wilson
Operations - Gemma Warne, Verity Burton, Katharine Venters
Strategic Marketing - Emily Kalkan, Courtney Zitola
Creative Agency - House Of Oddities
CEO & ECD - Sachini Imbuldeniya
CCO - Darren Smith
Creative Lead - Megan Revell
Creative Lead - Laura Lee Davies
Creative Operations - Lou Gordon
Senior Project Manager - Vanessa Hyde
Production Company - Partizan
Director - Ethan & Tom
Managing Director - Jenny Beckett
Head of Production - Ella More O’Ferrall
Executive Producer - Levi Rijper
Producer - Charlie Scannell
Production Manager - Will Cousins
Production Coordinator - Brooklyn Adebowale
Production Assistant - Loretta Wonke
Location Manager - Ben Carter
Location Assistant - Emily Sunderland
1st AD - Simon Ashen
2nd AD - Harry Hough
Runner - Kaii Rajakulasingam
Runner - Flame Brewer
Runner - Liv Coulson
Director of Photography - Nick Morris
1st AC - Josh Higgins
2nd AC - Oona Milka Eloranta
Camera Trainee - Olamide Badejo
Grip - Ed Livesey
2nd Grip - Luccia Rennie
Grip Assistant Playback - Tony Crouch
Sound Recordist - Duncan Brooker
Gaffer - Sebastian Nowell
Electrician - Andy Gonsalves, Ross Zillwood, Nuno Beirao, Tom Nowell
Rigger - Sean Maxwell
Production Designer - Alexandra Toomey
Set Decorator - Lucy Fewel
Props Master - George Gunn
Props Assistants - Harvey Western, Jack Fawcett
SFX Technician - Danny Edwards
SFX Supervisor - Sean Harland
SFX Technician - Harri Kennison
SFX Technician - Kieron Gervais
Costume Stylist - Emma Rees
Costume Assistant - Luke Abbott
H&MU Artist - Eve Coles
H&MU Assistant - Carly Guy
Digi Op - Olivia Estebanez
Medic - Terry Graham, Archie Barker
Security - James Dimmock, Fax Hussain, Dave Jones, Charles Nwuguo Minibus Drivers - Timmy O’sullivan, Gary Weight
Honeywagon Driver - Derek Crawford
Casting Director - Kharmel Cochrane
Child Licensing - Andrew Philips
Teenage Girl (Bathroom) - Lacey Byker
Young Teenage Boy (Bedroom) - Sidhant Anand
Older Teenage Girl (Party) - Aliyah Sesay
Resolve Friend - Eleanor Harper
Party Teens - Archie Clayton, Joseph Adenle, Sophie Abbott, Olenga Lufuankenda, Nathan Binsted, Diyhaz Burke
Post Production Edit House - Final Cut
Editor - Kit Wells
Edit Producer - Nikki Porter
Post House - Framestore
VFX Supervisor - Ben Gallagher
Head of 2D - Suzanne Jandu
Visual Development Supervisor - Aitor Echeveste
Visual Development Artist - Adrien Blanchard
Senior Visual Development Artist - Robert Williams
Compositor - Yanru Yin Flame - Darran Nicholson
Post Producer - Sara Beckman
VFX Production Assistant - Hannah Marsden
Colour - Company3
Colourist - Simon Bourne
Colour Producer - Kerri Aungle
Sound House - No.8 London
Sound Designer - Ben Gulvin
EP - Ollie Ireland
Audio Producer - Karen Noden
Composer - Johnny Jewel
Music Supervision - Leland
Music Supervisors - Gareth Belsey, Dhamirah Coombes
Stills Retouching - Ink Studio
Media agency - OMD
*** Source data: Childline. In 2025/26, Childline delivered 4,321 counselling sessions about online-related issues, including online sexual abuse/exploitation, online bullying and online harm and safety. This was a 30% increase when compared to 2024/25. Of this, there were 2,444 Childline counselling sessions about online child sexual abuse and exploitation. Almost a third took place in the summer months (711 between June – August) and contacts peaked in August. Between 2024/2025, there were 1,794 counselling sessions about online child sexual abuse and exploitation. This marks a 36% increase