War Child is launching a bold new campaign encouraging sons and daughters to forgo the often-mediocre Mother’s Day gifts they usually give each year and donate instead to its charity that helps moms in war-torn countries.
The “Mother’s Day Sacrifice” campaign, created by Toronto-based agency John St., includes a one-minute online film highlighting what moms in the developed world sacrifice each day, such as time, sleep and personal space.
It then asks those mothers to give up one more thing – their Mother’s Day gift — to help mothers in the developing world, living in conflict zones.
“Moms will sacrifice anything for their kids. But in war-torn areas of the world, they sacrifice everything: forced by war to give up their homes, their basic rights, and their ability to protect their children,” states the release announcing the new campaign launched this week.
Angus Tucker, partner and executive creative director at John St., which has been War Child’s agency of record since 2002, said the idea was hatched during a brainstorming session last year.
“We thought this was a fun and insightful way to get moms to say to their families ‘Don’t spend $20 on a silly gift … Donate it instead,” said Tucker, whose agency did the work pro bono.
“Mother’s Day Sacrifice is different in that we’re being very upfront with the fact that we want people to donate — by giving up their Mother’s Day Gift,” added Tucker. “In some ways, this is a different approach for us and for War Child.”
The campaign also drives people to War Child’s campaign website, www.MothersDaySacrifice.ca, where mothers can send an e-card to their kids asking them to donate to the charity.
The cards include headline such as ‘This Mother’s Day, a scented candle would just smell like you’ve done the wrong thing” or “The only thing better than giving me a gift is giving it away.”
Family members can also use the site’s “sacrificial gift shop.” It includes pictures of items such as fuzzy pink slippers, a frying pan and a dust buster. The slippers item states, “Instead of warming her soles, you’ll be warming her soul.” There also an item called “gas station flowers,” which reads, “Instead of flowers that’ll last a week, your donation can help change a child’s life. Nice.”
The cards and gift shop items are a “cheeky way” for moms to send the message and support the charity, said James Topham, War Child’s director of communications.
“I think most moms would gladly give up a physical gift, especially if it’s something like a dust buster, for a donation that helps another mother caught up in war,” he said in a release.
Two years ago, around Mother’s Day, War Child launched “The Motherhood Campaign” which gave Canadian mothers the opportunity to feed, comfort and care for children in warzones online. It was a kickstarter spoof that promoted a fictional NGO called “Surrogaid.”
