How The Monkeys Aotearoa Is Approaching Donations with Sensitivity Amidst a Cost of Living Crisis
Times are tough for us all at the moment. The price of basic needs are skyrocketing everyday and decisions to cut back are being made in all households across the globe.
Unfortunately, during times of economic crisis, one of the first things people stop doing is donating to charities. Never done out of malice, but rather out of necessity and attempting to approach this topic and encourage donations within the media needs to be done with sensitivity and hope.
The Monkey’s Aotearoa and KidsCan have produced a campaign that reminds people that even the smallest donation can make a world of difference to a young person in need. Using animation and the ever-familiar ‘The Little Light of Mine,’ the spot doesn’t aim to make audiences feel remorse for not donating while they sit at home in front of a television, but rather, encourages them with the tagline - ‘helping everyone starts with helping someone.’
Blending hope into the message and the use of animation makes an issue that can be overwhelming much easier to swallow. LBB’s Casey Martin spoke to associate creative directors, Liz Richards and Nick Dellabarca about the creation process.
LBB> The animation and few seconds of “This Light Of Mine’ is devastatingly beautiful, talk us through the creative inspirations. How did you come to this decision?
Liz> We wanted to show the scale of the issue while also illustrating how it might feel for these children as they stand in line, waiting for someone to step in and help. Child poverty is a significant issue in New Zealand, with currently more than 10,000 children across the country waiting on support from KidsCan. This is the largest waitlist in the charity’s history. These kids often lack essentials like shoes, warm clothing and food for lunches, which can result in them missing a lot of school.
We worked with the team at Assembly on the animation, who did a beautiful job crafting a simple yet powerful animation: a long line of children waiting in the cold, their faces indistinct so they could represent any child the viewer might know. The stark simplicity and raw style highlights the helplessness that children living in poverty might feel.
We wanted a song that felt familiar, to help the audience instantly connect with the spot. We knew it needed to have that perfect balance of not just speaking to the audience, but also having relevance to the children at the heart of the issue. “This Little Light of Mine” created the perfect juxtaposition against the visuals the minute we brought them together. Liquid Studios’ pared-back version of the track, combined with the sound effects, creates a poignant contrast with the original – as if it’s being carried on the wind from a faraway classroom, symbolising how the longer the kids wait, the further school moves out of reach. When combined with the animation, the result is very moving.
LBB> When developing the print campaign, what were the challenges that you faced? How did you overcome them?
Nick> How many names can you squeeze onto the front page of a newspaper while still keeping them legible? Turns out, quite a few. The main challenge, however, was translating the distinct visual element of this concept into something that felt more relevant and contextual to the specific print placement.
LBB> Despite the nature of the campaign, what were the highlights and what did you learn from this creative process that you will take with you to your next project?
Liz> The biggest highlight has been the outcome - a beautifully crafted campaign that has worked hard for KidsCan. Securing monthly donors is challenging, but this work has been delivered and we’ve already exceeded KidsCan’s expectations.
On top of this, the best part of the process is always the people we get to work with. Along with our supportive clients at KidsCan and Meridian, we were very fortunate to collaborate with the amazing teams at Assembly and Liquid Studios to bring this all together. Having the same goal from the outset made the process smoother and more rewarding.
LBB> The message at the end of the spot is perfect: ‘Helping everyone starts with helping someone’. Why was it important to make sure that what KidsCan was asking of their audiences was attainable?
Liz> We needed to show the scale of the problem while also offering some hope. There’s no doubt that the spot is sad, but it was important to balance this with some optimism at the end. We didn’t want to leave the viewer thinking the issue was so overwhelming that there was nothing they could do. We wanted to make it clear that even just one donation could make a real difference. Given the cost-of-living crisis, we also knew we needed to approach the donation message with sensitivity. Whether it’s $1, $10, $30 or $1,000 – every dollar counts.
LBB> When working with a charity or an organisation, how do you ensure that their message comes across clearly to audiences?
Nick> It’s important to make sure the viewers understand what the issue is and what we’re asking for. When we’re working with charity clients, our main goal is always to help them achieve their objectives, as we strongly believe in the work that they’re doing. KidsCan desperately needed donors to help them take kids off their huge waiting list, so it made sense to build the idea around that and not complicate it too much.
LBB> More broadly, how do you change your approach when working with charities during a cost of living crisis?
Nick> When money is tight, the first thing people often do is stop donating to charities. Yet at the same time, more people need help from those charities than ever. It’s a tricky balance to manage.
Our role is to connect audiences with brands and causes in a way that feels accessible and honest. We need to be mindful of the financial pressures people are under and focus on creating messages that resonate with their current reality. It’s our responsibility to help where we can, and through thoughtful, empathetic communication, we can encourage others to do the same, if they have the means.
