Yonge Street Mission begins Games campaign
By Adnews Staff
The Toronto-based Yonge Street Mission has begun a fundraising campaign called "Games." Created by Brass Tacks Advertising of Toronto, the campaign addresses drug addiction, domestic violence, sexual abuse and their impact on children. The creative contrasts the innocence of a child's game with the trauma of abuse. One print ad shows a young girl. The copy reads, "There were a lot of games Rachel wanted to play with her father. Spin the Bottle wasn't one of them." Further copy reads, "People who end up on the street don't have an easy time getting there." The campaign is intended to encourage viewers to be more generous to less-privileged people by presenting the causes of their situations. "Not everyone is going to feel comfortable with what's being talked about in these ads," said John Belbeck, senior creative strategist at Brass Tacks, "But if you don't get noticed, you're missing the mark and wasting your time. We intended the visceral nature of the campaign." The campaign began in December and will run through 2005. It includes out-of-home, television, radio and print advertising.