A digital, interactive advertising campaign is being launched around London today to encourage the public to help homeless people off the streets by making a text donation.
It has the backing of double Grammy Award winning recording artist Imogen Heap who has donated a new track called ‘Lifeline’ which the public can download once they have made a £2 donation by texting the word ‘home’ to the number 70099.
The Homeless Text campaign is being run by homelessness charity Thames Reach which has pledged to spend every single penny from the donations on helping rough sleepers turn their lives around. Clear Channel, one of the UK's leading outdoor advertisers, will be showing the ads on their digital roadside network of billboards across London. The digital ads will be supported by a website (www.homelesstext.co.uk), Facebook page and Twitter account (@homelesstext) and updates on each homeless person featured in the campaign will be posted on the Facebook page and Twitter feed so donors can follow their progress.
Comments made by members of the public on these social networking channels will be incorporated into the digital ads that will show on the screens around the capital.
The campaign will not feature actors or actresses, but real homeless people. During the two week period of the campaign, fresh adverts will appear showing rough sleepers who have been helped off the streets by Thames Reach the previous evening – last year the charity helped 993 rough sleepers off the streets.
The campaign is the brainchild of Oliver Tiersch and Mar Broseta (www.marandoli.com), a creative team at the newly launched advertising school, School of Communication Arts 2.0.
The campaign has not cost a single penny thanks to people from the business, creative and charity world giving up their time, expertise and advertising space for free.
The idea came from Clear Channel's Quick Fire Pitch competition which was held at their annual Ideas Seminar. People, ranging from big multinational agencies such as Ogilvy to students like those from the School of Communication Arts 2.0 were given a chance to pitch their advertising ideas to top industry figures and their clients.
Oliver Tiersch, from the School of Communication Arts 2.0, was the winner for his campaign to help homeless people by focusing on the profile of specific rough sleepers in different parts of London. His creative campaign struck a chord with the judges and audience at the seminar, and Thames Reach have worked with Oliver to launch the idea to the public in London.
Oliver Tiersch, Creative at School of Communication Arts 2.0 said, "Thames Reach and Clear Channel offered us the opportunity to explore creative ideas whilst giving us real life experience of working on live briefs with real clients. Creating, and then implementing the idea with Clear Channel's help, has been an invaluable experience and we have become immersed in the issues facing homeless people. It would be fantastic to see people texting homeless people off the streets and make the campaign a success."
Jeremy Swain, Chief Executive at Thames Reach said, "Thames Reach staff and volunteers are out 365 nights of the year, working with homeless people in all weather, who may be bedding down on cardboard and under blankets on the streets of London. Follow the progress of the campaign online and on the digital billboards as we bring people inside with your help."
Derek Manns, Head of Create + Collaboration at Clear Channel said, "It's fantastic to see an idea transform from concept at the competition stage into a reality with the launch of the campaign this week in London. The great thing about this charity campaign is that people will be able to see where their money has gone to, with real time updates on Facebook, Twitter and on our digital screen network."
About the campaign
Visit www.homelesstext.co.uk
, find @homelesstext on twitter or search for Thames Reach's Homeless Text on Facebook to receive updates on the campaign and for your comments to appear around London.
About Thames Reach
Thames Reach is one of the UK’s leading homelessness charities. Its vision is to end rough sleeping in the capital and help homeless and vulnerable people find decent homes, re-engage with family and friends and get back into work. Thames Reach runs a range of services across London and last year the charity worked with 8,908 people.
See www.thamesreach.org.uk
For further details contact Thames Reach communications manager, Mike Nicholas, on 07816 113420 or 0207 702 5646. mike.nicholas@thamesreach.org.uk
About Clear Channel in the UK
Clear Channel UK enables brands to meet and engage with people when they're out and about. Our expertise, gained over 40 years, means we understand how to showcase powerful and effective campaigns through our investment in the highest quality sites, new technologies and the latest planning tools.
Our partnerships with advertisers, agencies, local authorities, major multiples, shopping malls and major landlords have created a national network of 60,000 sites that reaches people in the public social space, drives footfall and generates word of mouth.
