On the 6th July, nine advertisers took part in turning their OOH ads in Piccadilly Circus upside down for the day. In collaboration with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), all ads on the big screen were flipped to raise awareness for the difficulty that blind people have faced as a result of COVID-19 measures. RNIB in collaboration with The & Partnership aimed to encourage kindness and empathy towards blind or partially sighted people who rely heavily on touch and human contact, and so have been heavily affected by social distancing.
COVID-19 has made more people than ever go the extra mile to care for others, with over a million people having volunteered to help the NHS and charity groups since the start of lockdown. Our QT data shows that 3 in 4 have confidence in the NHS, compared to many other institutions (e.g. the UK political institution) which have negative confidence. Mass recruitment of volunteers has not been seen at this level since World War II, and has brought people closer together, both in their families and communities. However despite the surge in altruism, charities across the country are struggling; 9 out of 10 will struggle to meet their fundraising objectives this year. This collaboration with RNIB demonstrates that brands have the opportunity to take control of their own social responsibility and power to help, at a time when it has never been more relevant.
In spite of Covid-19, social responsibility is still high on the agenda for multiple brands. Papa John’s partnered with the Trussell Trust to donate money from meal deal pizza orders to food banks around the country to feed families affected by the pandemic. In addition, Iceland proved how important wildlife causes are to the business and its customers, through adopting the penguins at the UK’s largest charity zoo, Chester Zoo. Last but not least, The Body Shop has partnered up with NO MORE – a charity fighting against domestic violence – to create their ‘Isolated Not Alone’ campaign to highlight and combat the rise of domestic violence cases during lockdown.
Amidst the uncertainty, anxiety and dread of COVID-19, the shining hope is that our continuous support as a nation for the NHS and for members of the community who need it most has created a greater atmosphere for kindness and support of one another. The more brands engage with this and demonstrate their own social responsibility authentically and effectively, the stronger resonance and connection they will create with consumers when they look back on the turbulent year that was 2020.
Sources
