REAL LIFE HEROES // UNITED NATIONS CAMPAIGN FOR WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY

World Humanitarian Day was created by the United Nations in 2008 to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service–providing medical care and life-saving services to those caught in crises. They fight famine and flood, displacement and disease, war and injustice. In 2020, the COVID pandemic made their work even more daunting. The UN asked us to create a campaign thanking humanitarians for their dedication.

As we concepted, we kept coming back to the word “hero.” It seemed to be everywhere in 2020, and not always used in good faith. But what other word fits a person who runs toward danger to save others? The obsession with fictional heroes has been with us since the dawn of culture. The heroes of our world, here and now, are just as worthy of admiration and celebration, because they’re real: choosing to help in the most extreme circumstances, when others do not.

FILM

The centerpiece of the “Real Life Heroes” campaign is a film featuring real humanitarians from around the globe who break the molds of fantastical heroes.

COMICS COLLAB

It is known that heroes belong in comic books. We collaborated with indie publisher Dark Horse comics to create short comics about five real humanitarians, featured in social and on the landing page.

RESULTS

My data friends told me the following: 150k mentions. 105M impressions. Posts from 136 countries. 12k website visitors. 1.1M video views.

My internet friends told me this other stuff: