Like many other charity campaigners, I spend a lot of time looking at what other organisations are doing. My Gmail inbox is probably 55% promotional deals, 40% campaign alert emails and 5% genuine communication (mainly my Mum). So, I see a lot of fantastic campaigns and charity content. Below, are some examples that have given me a case of “the green eyed monster.”

 

We all know Dogs’ Trust can do campaigning well. I mean, they gave us the phrase “A Dog is for life, not just for Christmas” for heaven's sake! As a self professed fan of our four legged friends (pugs are my particular favourite!) I can always make time for a video featuring dogs. So, when I saw Dogs’ Trust had a new video campaign I naturally took a look. What ensued was a minute of embarrassing desk “awwing” and crying that must have looked rather bizarre to my onlooking colleagues. Much like their iconic slogan, the videos message is simple but powerful; dogs want us as a companion just as much as we want them. Dogs without an owner are waiting for their person and it’s our task to see if we fit the bill or help make the match happen. I challenge anyone to watch this video and not get a case of “the feels.”

 

I am unashamed fangirl of Amnesty and have been for many years. However, when I was recently a judge for the Third Sector Awards I came across a campaign of theirs that I hadn’t seen before; 360 Syria. It had everything that I love about Amnesty’s work. It was innovative; using virtual reality technology to bring people closer than ever before to what was going on in an immersive way. It was brave; it didn’t shy away from the bleakness and horror of what is happening in Syria. Most importantly, it was real: the images used were actually taken by Syrian media activists living on the ground. If I’d been stopped on the street there is no way I’d have got away without donating.

 

I first saw this campaign whilst doing my morning commute at Old Street. Due to the flurry of people and my pre-coffee haze it probably took me a few weeks before I finally fully took the poster in. When I did, I was immediately struck by how powerful and deeply sad it was. Presented in a cartoon strip style, you get a snapshot of the life of Steve and how his story is cut short after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease. I remember immediately telling colleagues about it when I got to work. What struck me is that the advert didn’t need to go into the medical details of motor neurone disease it just focussed your attention on the injustice that the disease shortens the stories of those it affects. Although it was focussed on Steve’s story you could immediately see how it could apply to other people, or even yourself, just with slightly different details along the way. I still can’t read it without getting a lump in my throat.  

 

#TheDress phenomenon caused much discussion (and some quite heated arguments in our office). Everyone who had seen it fell very firmly into the Black and Blue or White and Gold camp (I was in the former). What the Salvation Army did with all of this attention was very clever. They took this viral sensation and used it to send a serious message about domestic abuse, showing a photo of a beaten woman with the strapline of “Why is it is so hard to see black and blue.” They successfully took something popular and a bit silly and made it gutwrenchingly serious. Great reactive campaigning.   

 

One of the things I loved about this campaign is that it included everyone. It acknowledged two things; that everyone struggles from time to time and that everyone has “somewhere” that gives them comfort in life. It didn’t single people out for their motivations, it just singled them out in terms of where their place was. This allowed people from all walks of life to find other people who took comfort from the same or similar places. As a person who has had many “somewheres” over the years (and no doubt has many more to come) I loved looking through the site and could relate to so many of the posts. Mind successfully created a safe space for people to share their vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms by focussing on what unites us, rather than that which divides. We could use a bit more of that in life.