How do you engage a materialistic public with a charity initiative to foster education? Our answer was to create a vehicle through which a retail purchase leads to helping further education in impoverished nations - a device that shows an instant reflection of the donor's input.
The Brief
To show that education, symbolized by books, keeps children away from a life of hardship.
How the final design was conceived
The bookends are the product of a nine-month creative process. First, we illustrated designs that best reflected the three social issues linked to poverty. This required studying the appearance of the people who are most affected by such hardship – from their ethnicity and physique to their environment. The designs were then handed to master sculptors who took four months to handcraft the figurines. Even the base, which serves as a doorway for the characters, received special attention. Once complete, the bookends were used in print, poster and online communication, before being the centerpiece of the in-store event.
Indication of how successful the outcome was in the market
The campaign launched February, 2013. Currently, there are no meaningful results to be shared. However, client confidence and the immense response from the public led to plans in the summer to run the campaign in the Far East and North America. The bookends themselves are planned to be made available for sale to the public in the coming months.