Louis Theroux Narrates Heartwarming Campaign Showing Inseparable Human-Animal Bonds

London-based animal charity, Mayhew, has launched a highly emotive brand awareness campaign to drive people to recognise the critical role animals play in society.

Created by McCann Demand, ‘A Life, Shared’ uses poetry and continuous line illustration to express the extraordinary human-animal bond. The integrated campaign tells three unique stories through the perspective of pets and their respective owners. Each is interwoven by a central statement; their poignant yet allusive tone suggests a vulnerability of the owner, while highlighting the reciprocal relationship.

Mayhew has offered support and shelter to over 10,000 people and animals experiencing an unexpected or ongoing crisis in the last decade, through community-based initiatives, work with homeless people, social welfare and education projects to ensure that people and their beloved pets can stay together through times of hardship.

McCann Demand worked with renowned international artist Dane Khy (@withoneline) to craft the campaign. Two poems will run outdoor in London tube stations and press, while the third exists as a flawless film, created with production company Coffee & TV and features voiceovers by Louis Theroux and stage actor Emily Raymond.

The final work reflects the original concept won through a pitch process at the end of 2019. Collaboration with the Mayhew team – including multiple site visits, workshops and the adoption of ‘Fantome’ the cat enhanced understanding of the charity’s exceptional work by the McCann Demand team, and influenced the poems to indicate the breadth of social issues that affect people and their pets.

Caroline Yates, Mayhew CEO said: “Mayhew is one of the oldest animal welfare charities in London, working in a truly holistic and preventative way to improve life for the people and animals in our community. We are in the midst of an ambitious marketing strategy to raise awareness of this unique approach and reach more people who need our help, as well as potential supporters of our work.

“Through ‘A Life, Shared’ we are aiming to bring people together and help people from all backgrounds relate and empathise with our mission, through the bond we all share with animals.”

Mayhew’s head of marketing and communications, Natassja Yoxall said: “McCann Demand have been fantastic partners to take this strategy to the next level with. They helped us to distil our communications message to something that would speak to individuals, conveying why we exist and inspiring audiences to find out more. They have created a genuinely original, moving and meaningful campaign territory that we hope to build on throughout 2020 and beyond.”

Chris Falconer, managing director at McCann Demand said: "I'm incredibly proud of the work the team have produced for Mayhew. Not only is it a tearjerker, but I genuinely believe the emotional response will help Mayhew achieve the scale normally associated with a national charity. Overall, it's the perfect example of what makes our agency so special: a team that out thinks, out works and out cares – to deliver work that outperforms."

Based in London, McCann Demand is an agency that helps businesses supercharge their growth.