The Salvation Army 2012 campaign shows that the homeless don't just lack a home. Instead, they lack everything that tends to come with a home. As one of the print ads cleverly states, instead of homeless, these individuals can easily be termed "Home Raincoat Mattress Cardigan Gloves Scarf Less." There is so much involved in not just survival but also basic comforts these days, which the homeless are constantly deprived of.
Conceived and executed by Buenos Aires-based ad agency JWT, the Salvation Army 2012 campaign asks, "Anything you can donate won’t be anything," they will be everything. A simple campaign, it revolves around typical homeless habitats. In place of people, however, art director Guido Fusetti has used bold words that capture the true meaning of what it is to be homeless.
Typographic Homeless Ads
The Salvation Army 2012 Campaign Shows What the Unhoused Truly Lack
Trend Themes
1. Homelessness Experience Awareness - More and more campaigns use creative approaches to raise awareness about the difficult conditions that homeless people face, with opportunities to disrupt traditional aid approaches.
2. Alternative Empathy Messaging - Campaign messaging that goes beyond pity or lack consideration to prompting more empathic and active responses, with opportunities to create deeper connections with brand values.
3. Visual Metaphors in Social Advertising - Visual metaphors that balance creativity and messaging to create impactful campaigns, with the opportunity to change how people view and interact with social issues.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising and Marketing - Agencies and brands have a responsibility to address social issues in their campaigns and more are branching out from traditional messaging to create impactful campaigns.
2. Social Services and Nonprofits - More opportunities to create alternative messaging that connects with people and drives change, and to develop creative partnerships with private entities that can support their goals.
3. Design and Creative Services - Creative professionals can play a vital role in helping brands and agencies develop visual messaging that inspires empathy and drives social change.