Hard Hitting Charity Campaign Highlights Impossible Family Choices This Christmas

Creative agency In the Company of Huskies announces the launch of St. Vincent de Paul's (SVP) annual appeal. 

SVP is Ireland's largest charity and they receive more than 150,000 calls each year, usually from people in need of food. Unfortunately, the number of people that need help has grown this year.

With many normal channels for donations, such as church gate collections and the SVP's shops, being disrupted due to the pandemic, this year will be the most challenging. 

The campaign highlights the situation faced by many families who live below the poverty line. Already stretched households will face difficult decisions this winter. 'Impossible Choices' reminds us that there are families that are often faced with having to choose between food and heating or giving their children presents. The campaign includes a 30" TVC, outdoor, digital and activations. 

In the Company of Huskies, who have worked with SVP since 2015, was tasked with finding new ways to create additional income streams outside of the traditional methods. 

As physical visits to people's homes are curtailed, the ability to deliver food hampers or toys is limited, so SVP wanted to make it easier to donate virtual toys and food this Christmas.

To do this, the second part of the campaign will launch at the beginning of December. Huskies, in partnership with their clients Smurfit Kappa and BWG, created the 'Empty Toy Box Appeal' and ‘Empty Plate Appeal’. For every empty toy box and plate bought, a donation will go towards ensuring a child will have what they need this Christmas. 

Nichola Mullen, head of fundraising at SVP says: "Our helpline rings every day with a variety of requests for help - those with bare cupboards, to families struggling with heating their homes. We know we face a very challenging winter this year with more requests for help and less access to our  traditional ways to fundraise." 

"We needed creative solutions to overcome these issues and an emotive campaign to drive donations. Huskies delivered on all fronts. The campaign shows the public the harsh realities of poverty.  Christmas is not the same for everyone, but with donations we can help people feel safe and warm at this special time of year," adds Nichola Mullen. 

Cillian Kenny, creative at Huskies comments: “At Christmas, we all face many choices. Whether it’s what presents to buy or what food to serve for Christmas dinner. But many families living below the poverty line will face impossible choices like deciding between whether to pay for heating or put food on the table, or buy Christmas presents for their children. With this campaign we wanted to highlight this struggle and remind donors that they can help. We would also like to thank our clients Smurfit Kappa and BWG for coming on board to support the important work that SVP do at Christmas.”

The SVP's annual appeal is a nationwide campaign that will run over the next six weeks on TV, radio, press, OOH, and digital.