Weingart Homeless Center
To raise awareness for the Weingart Homeless Center, they took a non traditional approach that made people imagine themselves homeless if only for a moment. They photographed a dozen of the 70.000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles. They gave each of them a blank cardboard sign and had them write the same message: Before you turn away, put yourself in my place. Followed by the URL, weingart.org. Then they took those images, blew them up life-size, removed their faces and made them into photo-realistic cardboard cutouts. They placed the cutouts in upscale shopping centers in Bevery Hills and Santa Monica. Soon the homeless could not be ignored. This project not only raised awareness, but it ultimately raised funds.
Agency: David & Goliath Los Angeles, USA.
Posted in Direct, Guerilla 
Add to del.ici.us 
Digg It
Blogs that link to this post 
Permanent Link
March 22nd, 2009 at 9:31 pm
All sorts of charitable organizations are hurting right now in this economy. I like the approach they took here as it raises awareness and connects with the worry and fear we all have right now of what may come next in the economy.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I totally agree with you!!!
cheers
Haik
………………………………………
http://www.creativefolks.net
March 25th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Really like this campaign.
March 26th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
[...] They photographed a dozen of the 70.000 people living on the streets of Los Angeles. They gave each of them a blank cardboard sign and had them write the same message: Before you turn away, put yourself in my place. Followed by the URL, weingart.org. Then they took those images, blew them up life-size, removed their faces and made them into photo-realistic cardboard cutouts. (via adgoodness) [...]
March 26th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I think this campaign really goes to the heart of an individual. The main reason people often do not donate to charities or organizations is because they feel the issue does not directly affect them. Essentially, they are apathetic. These cutouts force any viewer to put himself in a homeless persons’ shoes, if only for a moment.
This is a creative and affective idea that I hope resulted in an increase of donations.
March 31st, 2009 at 5:46 am
It really is a heart renching campaign but it works, great idea
April 7th, 2009 at 8:19 am
This seems really effective. Most people can ignore a billboard or a bench ad, but I don’t think many people can walk past one of these without a second glance.