The team at Perq Studio is not one to stay put while the world is in danger.
Designers and creatives are not key workers, and for the strongest spirits out there, it must be suffocating to be forced to stay home with no way to make a difference. Perq Studio certainly knows the feeling and its all-ladies team has created a fundraising campaign to 'thank our health heroes,' showing them how appreciated their efforts are and why supporting them matters now more than ever.
We had a chat with a spokesperson from this small yet energetic team to dig 'behind the idea' and understand what brought this campaign to life.
What was the brief?
We wanted to challenge ourselves to contribute to our wonderful NHS workers and try to raise some much-needed funds. We’re not key workers, so we are already doing our bit to help by staying home (we launched our #itscoronatime animation before the government took action because we feel so strongly about slowing the spread). We know that design and marketing have a powerful role to play in helping shape opinions so we thought we could use our creativity to help people stay safe and raise valuable funds.
How did the initial conversations/pitch/brainstorming phase go?
We chatted amongst the team and we felt that doing something digital wasn’t going to cut it. We wanted to give people something physical they could use – a memento – a symbol of participation and allegiance. We felt tshirts were a good choice and that tote bags are eco and super useful so we quickly settled on those. We knew we wanted blue to symbolise our NHS and that we wanted to use messages that have already entered the vernacular such as #stayhome and #thankshealthheroes. We then set our creativity free! We came up with loads of options, but eventually decided to narrow down to one tshirt and one tote design. This way we could maximise campaign visibility but also get the tshirts out there.
Tell us more about the concept. Why was it the right choice?
We decided we wanted to give people variety, so our tote bag leads with ‘Thanks Health Heroes’ while our tshirt says ‘Stay Home’. Our illustrator Eve hand-lettered the 3D type on the bag, while our creative director Nikki took a bold campaign approach with the tshirt. Both routes appeal to different audiences, are fun and bring a smile to people’s faces – that’s how we knew we’d picked the right ones.
What was the production process like? What was the biggest challenge?
Finding a printer who was open and willing to work at cost was quite a challenge! We felt very strongly nobody should profit from this initiative, so we gave our designs pro-bono, hosted the website and will fund the transaction fees.
What’s the main message of the campaign and why does it matter?
We’re thanking the people who look after us. Who are incredibly selfless and put themselves at risk to save our lives. It matters because we need to never again take them for granted and we need to show them we support and love them for what they do.
Why will the final assets resonate with consumers?
People have been stepping outside to clap at 8pm every Thursday. Having something they can wear and own just gives that extra tangibility to them that they are making a difference.
What is one unique fact about the campaign that will help it cut through?
We have been totally transparent about where people’s money is going. So many people have been in touch to say how refreshing this is and how happy they are to help fundraise in this way.
How long did it take from inception to delivery?
4 days. Concept to web design, fundraising pages and all. We’re exhausted! But we wish to raise £10,000 to maximise profits for the NHS Charities COVID-19 Urgent Appeal and we need support to get there.
You can purchase our t-shirts and tote bags from this link.
How satisfying is it to see it out there after so much hard work?
There are no words. I am so proud of my team and their willingness to do work for good. I’m bowled over by the support of the public and I am really excited to have found a print partner we will call upon in the future.
