FIRST HUGS

Short List
TitleFIRST HUGS
BrandCANON
Product/ServiceCAMERA MATERIAL
Category F04. Social Behaviour
Entrant HAPPINESS BRUSSELS / AN FCB ALLIANCE, BELGIUM
Idea Creation HAPPINESS BRUSSELS / AN FCB ALLIANCE, BELGIUM
Credits
Name Company Position
Karen Corrigan Happiness / An FCB alliance Executive Creative Management
Geoffrey Hantson Happiness / An FCB alliance Chief Creative Officer
Katrien Bottez Happiness / An FCB alliance Creative Director
Roxane Schneider Happiness / An FCB alliance Concept Provider
Pieter Claeys Happiness / An FCB alliance Concept Provider
Mattias Vermeire Happiness / An FCB alliance Account Director
Bart Vande Maele Happiness / An FCB alliance Head of Production
Dominique Turnbull Happiness / An FCB alliance Agency Producer
Arthur De Wachter Happiness / An FCB alliance Agency Producer
Simon Schuurman Happiness / An FCB alliance Motion Designer
Lieve Blancquaert Freelance Photographer
Bruno Winnen Canon Country Director Benelux
Filip Vandenbempt Canon Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Benelux
Aris Arakelian Canon Digital Communication Specialist

Please tell us about the social behaviour that inspired the work

Hugging. A wonderful act that can speak a thousand words and which we always considered normal. Until suddenly, it wasn’t anymore. For months, quarantined because of COVID-19, people were no longer allowed to leave their homes and to hug loved ones who were not living with them. The mental toll of this ‘no touch’ lockdown was and still are really heavy. As says Prof Robin Dunbar, evolutionary psychologist at the University of Oxford, “Touch is fundamental. The sort of more intimate touching - arm round the shoulder, a pat on the arm and these kind of things reserved for closer friendships and family members - are really important," he says. “They make us feel happier, satisfied and trusting of others.” Not surprisingly research shows that hugging and touching your loved ones is the one thing we missed most in quarantine.