Behind the Work: Safehaven and The Local Collective Uncover the Quiet Honesty of Being Seen
May 8, 2026LBB’s April Summers speaks to Matt Litzinger from the Toronto-based agency about the unlearning of a misguided social cue.
For generations, children have been taught a simple rule: don’t stare. Intended to lessen the likelihood of making others feel self-conscious or uncomfortable, this long-standing instruction has been passed down for generations. But for kids with medical complexities, that lesson – though well-intentioned – has often led to something more damaging: invisibility.
In their latest campaign for charity partner Safehaven Toronto, The Local Collective flips that idea on its head, asking Canadians to look closer, not away. Centred around a film where children share which superpower they’d choose, the work takes a familiar, playful question and transforms it into a powerful reminder that, actually, the greatest gift any child can receive is to simply be seen.