Charley Says: In the Kitchen

1973
Sound
1m

If you can't stand the heat, Charley, get out of the kitchen and spread your message

Poor Charley cat: he suffered so we didn't have to. A public information short for adults on this subject might involve a hungry toddler by the stove, a hand reaching up, and a quick cut away to a screaming mother. Such shock tactics were avoided in this much celebrated series for young children, and the larger than life figure of Charley is the one to come closest to peril. Luckily, he is sensible enough to learn a lesson and share it.

Animated public information filler. Charley the cat looks at all the bubbling pots and pans on a hot stove and is splashed by spitting fat. He goes to tell the boy, who tells the audience that they should stay away from hot stoves as there are so many things which can hurt you.

Animation Goes to Work

For those with an official message to get across, animation is the perfect messenger

Animation has an almost magical ability to charm and captivate. And those same qualities also make it a strikingly effective communication tool. It grabs attention, speaks to all ages, and can distil complex messages into simple and appealing visual metaphors. For government or other august bodies, cartoon antics have often been the perfect jam to sweeten the pill of official communications, whether to explain sweeping change or impart health and safety messages. And for the inventive animator, even the most utilitarian brief is no barrier to the most outlandish of treatments.