There are few more emotive issues than the refugee crisis – you only have to go back a few weeks to see the dark and deeply depressing side of the argument – but charity Refugease is attempting to show the reality of the situation with a new hard-hitting campaign exposing the plight of those attempting to cross the English Channel.
Based on the simple but sobering message of “Some journeys cost everything. Help refugees avoid this journey by donating the cost of yours”, the activity contrasts commuters’ experiences with those of refugees and calls on travellers to help the displaced avoid this journey by donating the cost of theirs to Refugease.
Devised by creative agency Havas London, “The Unsafest Journey” is inspired by a creative ‘Look Ahead’ competition, launched by Contagious, Global and Transport for London, which invited entrants to submit eye-catching, sharable, experiential OOH campaigns that would take tube passengers on an unforgettable journey.
The campaign was highly commended by judges. Cinema placements have been donated by Pearl & Dean.
It launches this week, to mark the date which saw the highest number of attempted crossings on record (1,295, in 2022), with a takeover of Tottenham Court Road station, print and cinema activations, a striking mural on the Kent Coast and immersive, binaural radio ads based on real distress calls from boats attempting the perilous journey.
Digital out of home executions – which will appear on all formats across Central London’s Elizabeth line stations – are intended to put travellers in the shoes of refugees, replicating the terrifying sensation of being in a small boat on the Channel.
Disorientating by design, the ads aim to make viewers feel as though they are partially submerged in choppy waters before crashing waves plunge them below the waterline. ‘What if this was the only way to reach your destination?’, reads the accompanying copy.
A series of chilling radio spots recreate actual transcripts of distress calls made from refugees in small boats, such as one received at 2.53am in December 2022. The radio ads have been bought to life by Creative Outpost and use powerful 3D, binaural sound to place the listener first in the boat, and then in and below the water as it capsizes – spilling its nearly 50 occupants into the freezing Channel. The 360-degree sound mix creates a physical sensation of a boat flipping.
Print activations, again shot from below the waterline, highlight the fact that in 7° water in the English Channel, it can take only a minute to drown, as people panic, and shock sets in. A child’s shoe is seen sinking to the bottom of the ocean – a reference to the many children who have lost their lives attempting the journey.
The campaign also features a hard-hitting mural painted directly on the sea wall in Ramsgate, Kent. The Orange Iceberg, which uses a mound of orange lifejackets to symbolise the hundreds of migrant lives lost in the Channel, is initially obscured by the sea – only to be fully revealed as the tide recedes, drawing emotional parallels to the power of the sea in pushing tragedy to the shore. It was conceived by Havas London and One Green Bean and created by street artist Humor (Hugh Whitaker).
As well as a fundraising exercise, the activity aims to raise awareness of Refugease, which specialises in frontline evacuations (transporting the most vulnerable individuals to safer areas, away from conflict zones), humanitarian aid (responding in real time by serving refugees in transit by providing life-saving aid purchased locally to where it is distributed) and self-reliance initiatives (offering child refugees an education they can build a future on, employment opportunities for refugees, and hydroponic farming systems).
Refugease founder and managing director Valentina Osborn said: “Over the past decade, as wars have escalated, neighbouring countries to conflicts are buckling under the pressure of demands to host ever-increasing numbers of families seeking safety, rendering these environments increasingly inhospitable, as resources are scarce and refugee camps crowded.
“This has forced refugees to make longer and more dangerous journeys, to the UK for example, to reach safety. This has resulted in an increasing number of tragic drownings in the English Channel.
“Our aim is first to evacuate civilians from where conflicts are at their most precarious, then we do what we can to add to the resources of neighbouring nations (whether food packages, education, employment opportunities, or sustainable farming systems) – doing what we can to help refugees avoid making dangerous journeys further afield.”
Havas London creative partner Nathalie Gordon added: “Never again will we complain about an uncomfortable commute. Understanding the full extent of not only what drives people to believe getting on a boat is their only option, but also what one of these journeys is actually like, is beyond comprehension.
“That’s why we couldn’t just tell the stories, we had to find ways to fully immerse audiences in the moments instead.
“Refugease exists to help refugees avoid this journey entirely, and by donating, you will be supporting work that could genuinely mean the difference between life and death.”
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?
Well, if this doesn’t move you, there’s no hope. For too long Brits have been caught up in the “Stop the Boats” rhetoric when we should be actually helping refugees. And, let’s face it, everyone in the UK’s life is touched and improved by immigration. After all, where would our NHS be without overseas doctors and nurses? And the people who argue against immigration are the very same people who no doubt love nothing more than an Indian on a Friday night…
Many refugees are desperate; they need our help. You can either turn the tide or turn the other cheek. Which will choose?
Decision Marketing Adometer: A “give them hope” 10 out of 10
