The advert shows a woman in Liberia giving birth to a baby that appears to be stillborn.
The midwife then brings the baby, named Melvin, back to life and the advert ends with the sound of a newborn cry.
It opens with a warning about the graphic birth footage, reading: ‘The following advertisement features a real birth scene which viewers might find distressing.’
It then shows the message: ‘For a million newborns every year, their first day is also their last.’
The advert highlights the need for midwives in developing countries and emphasizes that many lives can be saved with the presence of a trained midwife.
Matt Goff, managing director at adam&eveDDB has spoken out in defence of the advert, saying: ‘This is a shocking piece of communication, and it is deliberately designed to make an impact.’
‘One million children dying every year on their first day on Earth is a shocking statistic. So many lives like that of Melvin can be saved simply by having a trained midwife present at the birth. Hopefully it will have the impact that children like Melvin and mothers like T-Girl need.’
Sue Allchurch, director of marketing and communications for Save The Children, said about the campaign:
'The 'First Day' creative is a step away from our usual brand advertising, but we felt that a shocking and impactful creative was needed to raise awareness of the scale of the issue and to give the bigger picture of the changes that Save the Children wants to make in the world—stopping children dying for good and helping them fulfill their potential.’
The advert is due to be shown after the watershed, but do you think it’s too graphic?
Watch the advert below (warning: graphic content):