Innovative, courageous and emotive – when it’s done right, purpose-driven and charity advertising can be a real force of nature, forcing audiences to confront issues they would otherwise ignore.
But campaigns looking to deliver a positive social impact can also turn audiences off – ads which are too graphic, too sad or too sanctimonious are unlikely to see the response they have hoped for. Often, viewers will switch off or reach for their phones rather than face the uncomfortable truth in front of them.
It’s a difficult balancing act, but one which brands are increasingly taking the risk on. Leading the charge in the field is Dove, Unilever’s skincare brand which has been championing ‘Real Beauty’ (its most recent campaign) in one way or another for the last ten years.
Just three months into 2024 and we are already seeing businesses, organisations and charities using their ad budgets to make a positive social impact as they place an increasingly greater emphasis on purpose, rather than profit.
Marketing Beat looks at some of the most interesting purpose-driven campaigns released so far this year – is appealing to our better nature really the most effective way to grab our attention?
1. Motor Neurone Disease Association: ‘Without the people there’s nothing’
This poignant series of films from the Motor Neurone Disease Association runs alongside the soap opera Coronation Street, coinciding with a storyline about a character with the degenerative condition.
Drawing on real people with MND and their carers, the campaign contrasts the drama with the reality of a condition most people know little about.
Created by Good Agency and set to the tune of Rebecca Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw You” and filmed in living rooms, the campaign was created on the premise that while the degenerative condition causes so much loss, the one thing that doesn’t die is the love between two people.
As Good executive creative director Bryn Attewell told Marketing Beat, it showcased how centring people with the condition is crucial to getting the messaging right, because “without the people, there’s nothing”.
2. Harnessing the power of drama (and Olivia Coleman) for Amnesty International
Also tapping into drama, Amnesty International’s latest spot harnesses the power of iconic actors Olivia Coleman and Adrian Lester, to highlight how some of the storylines we see on television are not as far removed from reality as some might think.
The poignant spot from the Oscar-winning and Laurence Olivier winning actors tackles the reality of poor living conditions in the UK by telling the story of a young mother living in temporary accommodation.
It has since been deemed too political to be shown on TV by Clearcast, in a move which serves to highlight how well it made its point.
While dramas might more easily get away with telling human rights stories without being called ‘political’s, if there’s one thing this purpose-driven campaign proves, it’s that the ad industry can certainly tell captivating stories for good reasons.
3. Embrace the visual: Emily Atack fronts CPB’s bold ‘affirmative consent’ campaign
Coinciding with International Women’s Day last week, a new purpose-first spot from Right to Equality starred Emily Atack in a call for “affirmative consent”.
It aims to put pressure on parliament to update 20-year-old sexual offence laws in order to protect those who don’t say no outright, with the understanding that only a “yes” should mean yes.
The visually arresting campaign features billboards and t-shirts with the phrase “I’m asking for it”, helping to provoke a discussion Atack raised in her ‘Asking For It’ documentary.
4. Breast Cancer Now: Using AI and real stories for personal impact
Cancer charity Breast Cancer Now draws on AI to highlight the meaning of time for those facing incurable secondary breast cancer (where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body and is terminal).
Showing at the Saatchi Gallery on 13 March and 14 March, the ‘Gallery of Hope’ exhibition will feature portrait photographs from Jillian Edelstein, all of which will sit alongside AI-generated images of the future moments the women hoped to experience.
Not only does it show how tapping into individual stories can help garner support for further research and investment, but it also highlights how the sector’s tech forward approach when it comes to areas like artificial intelligence can be harnessed in a creative way (as opposed to for profit or time saving reasons), to make a meaningful point about hope and the future.
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5. Dove: Adland defines the ‘self care’ category with positive body image
Dove has long been known for its self-esteem related campaigns, so it comes as no surprise that to mark International Women’s Day the brand highlighted a very modern body image concern for young girls – using adult skin products like retinols.
Led by Ogilvy, its new #Faceof10 campaign draws on Hollywood star Drew Barrymore and TikTok creators across the internet to highlight the problem and help provoke conversations with parents about the issue.
Highlighting the brands cohesive storytelling and messaging, it comes after this year’s earlier advert at the Super Bowl which showcased how body image leads 45% of girls to quit sport by the age of 14.
Sure, Unilever isn’t without controversy, but as creative teams selling a necessary product like deodorant – why not share a good message along the way? And as a self-care brand, the body image angle is certainly a smart one…
6. Canon: A purposeful collaboration built around accessibility (not hype)
While brand collaborations are known for generating fun hype (Greggs x Primark anyone?), they don’t always exist to provoke important or meaningful discussions.
Except, they definitely can! Camera company Canon has recently collaborated with RNIB to create an accessible photo exhibition at Somerset House, which will take place from the 5 April to 7 April.
The agency VML worked closely to ensure that all elements of the campaign meet accessibility standards, and highlight how good storytelling can be done with blind and partially sighted people in mind.
7. South Western Railway: Fighting verbal aggression with strong words
St Luke’s partnered with South Western Railway to create a series of OOH images which highlight the verbal abuse that members of staff are faced with on the job.
While verbal abuse doesn’t leave a physical mark like physical aggression does, it can grind workers down when faced daily while they are just trying to earn a living.
By showing images of workers conducting home tasks, like making tomato sauce, superimposed with some of the rude phrases they heard during the day, such as “You dumb cow”, “You absolute moron” and “You fat idiot”, the purpose-driven campaign is designed to make people stop and think before being aggressive towards others.
