Shelter contrasts cinematic Christmas joy with bleak reality
Shelter's new Winter Appeal film subverts the joy of the Christmas countdown to convey an important message about temporary accommodation.
Shelter’s ad shows a mother and daughter seemingly waiting excitedly for Christmas, drawing on more Christmas advertising tropes.
Created by Meanwhile and directed by Hector Dockrill at Magna Studios, the two-minute film follows a mother and daughter who are revealed to be living in bleak temporary accommodation.
We initially appear to be watching the familiar anticipation of Christmas growing before a different reality emerges: the mother is trying to secure somewhere safe for them to live.
They're not counting down to Christmas Day, but getting the keys to a home.
Stark facts
The conditions shown were informed by real-life examples and Shelter's own insight into temporary accommodation. Shelter says that more than 177,000 children are currently homeless in temporary accommodation in England.
Dockrill doesn’t soften that reality; instead, the surroundings remain stark while the mother-daughter relationship provides the warmth.
An original track written and performed by Maverick Sabre soundtracks the film, which was created by Jen Tighe and Bryn Walters.
Our take
Cause advertising frequently struggles at Christmas because it has to compete with an entire industry dedicated to creating cinematic joy.
Creative agency Meanwhile finds a simple way around that problem: using our knowledge of Christmas advertising against us.
In that way, it’s reminiscent of PETA’s ad, which contrasts Christmas joy with a daunting message. We misinterpret what we're seeing because advertising has trained us to put an idealised spin on things.
It's also an interesting development from Shelter's previous festive work. Last year's Bonnie Tyler campaign also played with an apparently joyful moment to expose the reality of homelessness. This time, the technique has been stripped back and embedded into a more intimate story.
Credits
Client: Shelter
Agency: Meanwhile
Director: Hector Dockrill
Production: Magna Studios
Creatives: Jen Tighe and Bryn Walters
Music: Maverick Sabre
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