YES Foundation Takes the Bad with the Good in Charity Film

From global health pioneers to environmental activists and kindness crusaders, the media often feels full of saintly individuals making a real difference to the world - which can leave mere mortals wondering why they should even bother to try. But not being a paragon of perfection shouldn’t stop people from trying to do good - as a relatable new campaign for the YES Foundation reminds us.

Created by independent agency DUDE, in collaboration with Papaya Films, to raise the profile of the YES Foundation - a Polish organisation backed by inclusive jewellery brand YES, which supports and empowers women in communities across Poland through funding local initiatives - ‘Good People’ is inspired by a common misconception holding people back from enacting change: imposter syndrome, aka the assumption that if they’re not perfect themselves, they’re not the right person for the job.

The campaign aims to eradicate this imposter syndrome - which is especially prevalent in the volunteering space - and encourage more meaningful and impactful applications to the Foundation, by embracing people’s imperfections and redefining what it means to be ‘good’.

‘Good People’ is led by a light hearted film, directed by Mateusz Miszczyński through Papaya Films, that captures everyday people doing occasional ‘bad’ things - refusing to pick up their dog’s business or feigning sleep to avoid having to give up their seat on a bus - while reaffirming that they are still capable of doing good. Soundtracked by LA-based indie band Gustaf’s Best Behaviour, the 60-second film goes on to hero some of the Foundation’s real-life contributors and their relatable confessions, including Matgorzata, who supports women in prison but accidentally killed her goldfish and Klara, who helps disabled women with beauty therapy, yet constantly steals her friends’ lighters.

"Our foundation is all about positive vibes, and we’re here to spread that energy and inspire others to take action," says Justyna Lach, Director of the YES Foundation. "No one's perfect, but every one of us can do something amazing and help us build a better world for women," she adds.

"I wanted this film to feel honest and relatable, which is why we leaned into the imperfections - both in the characters we portray and the way we captured them. We used real, everyday locations and avoided overly polished visuals, because real life is rarely perfect. It’s messy, funny, and flawed, but that’s what makes it human. That’s also why we chose to shoot on analogue film — it adds a layer of authenticity and unpredictability that perfectly matches the campaign’s message." says Mateusz Miszczyński, director.

Alex Prew, creative copy writer, DUDE adds, “Even good people aren’t good 100% of the time. Good people scam the supermarket self-checkout. Good people steal pint glasses from pubs. We wanted to paint the most inclusive picture of a good person, to make everyone feel like they can make a change in their community.”
"This collaboration between Papaya Films, the YES Foundation, and DUDE agency reflects the power of joining forces across different industries and creative minds. Together, we’re bringing to life an important message that embraces imperfection as a part of our shared humanity," says Justyna Górniak, creative producer and CEO Papaya Films.

The film will run across YES’ YouTube, Instagram and Facebook channels.