The Salvation Army & BWM Dentsu Shine A Light on Homelessness

Created for the 2015 Red Shield Appeal, the campaign brings to life the realities of homelessness in a spot showing the decline of one young person’s safety, prospects and appearance after spending an extended time living on the streets.

Murray White, executive creative director at BWM Dentsu Melbourne, said: “Most people don’t realise that homelessness is a cycle that can be broken. Reaching out to young people in need can help change a life before it becomes a lifetime.

“With this campaign we wanted to convey the importance and urgency of the support that The Salvation Army is providing the homeless,” he said.

The Red Shield Appeal launched on Wednesday, 15 April 2015, with a special breakfast charity event, compered by Network TEN executive general manager, Russel Howcroft, at Sofitel Melbourne. The campaign creative launched on Sunday 19 April.

While The Salvation Army provides help to people in need across a number of social groups, the Red Shield Appeal campaign, crafted by BWM Denstu, focuses on homelessness to help raise awareness of the issue, engaging the audience and empowering them to take action.

Garry Tanner, territorial marketing director at The Salvation Army, said: “Homelessness is a real issue in Australia, with 42 per cent of our 105,237 homeless under the age of 25. We understand that people want to know how their charitable donations will be spent and the difference they will be making.

This campaign gives the audience a chance to see who they will be helping.

“‘Help end homelessness now’ represents the vision and ambition that The Salvation Army wants to communicate into the future. We appreciate the work BWM Dentsu has done to help us achieve this goal,” he said.

The integrated campaign, consisting of TVC, radio, print, out of home campaign elements, and social media, will run until the end of June. To get involved with the Red Shield Appeal visit The Salvation Army.