Toronto's WoodGreen Community Services just launched their Homeward Bound ad campaign. The ads feature struggling single mothers from the Toronto area, and asks a simple question: "What if we cared about those living in poverty as much as we care about celebrities?"
Learning about celebrities is fun, but there are people who need our attention much more: struggling single mothers for instance. As you can see, the print ads/outdoor posters are art directed to look exactly like your favorite celeb magazines, complete with the same chunky fonts and hideous screaming yellow headlines. The difference is that the women on the "covers" are real single mothers, to whom WoodGreen provides assistance. The video, which is also running in Toronto area TV stations, is the gem of the campaign.
WoodGreen's Homeward Bound is an award-winning, 4-year program that helps homeless or struggling single mothers earn a tuition-paid college diploma, start a career, and become self-sufficient. Piloted by WoodGreen in 2004, it provides women with childcare, affordable housing, and other support under one roof. To date, Homeward Bound program has helped 176 women with 216 children graduate and earn competitive wages in positions such as law clerk, data management officer, technical service analyst, and more.
What if we indeed cared about those living in poverty as much as we do about celebrities? That is the question of the campaign; and an interesting one that will no doubt trigger a range of responses.