Great public servants get their own hero figurines and 5 more unsung hero campaigns.
Tapping into unsung heroes holds a captivating power as it taps into our innate human desire for authenticity, connection, and recognition. By shining a spotlight on the unsung heroes among us—care workers, crossing wardens, female pioneers, charity workers, soldiers - we unleash the emotional powerhouse of empathy in all its abundance! Enjoy the six examples below.
Hero Figurines | UNISON | Taylor Herring | May 2023
UNISON, the UK's largest trade union boasting 1.3 million members, has unveiled action figurines depicting real-life neighborhood heroes, highlighting their tireless efforts in delivering essential local services often overlooked or taken for granted. The campaign, conceptualized and executed by the award-winning creative PR agency Taylor Herring, will be promoted across national, local, and social media platforms. These exclusive superhero figurines were meticulously crafted using advanced 3D printing technology, capturing the exact likeness of four carefully chosen council workers from English and Welsh local authorities. Each collectible figure features fully articulated limbs, adorned in work attire, and includes accessories mirroring their actual trade tools. Individually designed boxes housing the limited-edition action figures showcase vivid comic artwork, breathing life into the characters, while an accompanying cartoon strip, illustrated by renowned Marvel artist Will Sliney, highlights the everyday heroism of these unsung heroes within their respective local authority areas. By creating these action figures, UNISON aims to prompt the public to contemplate the crucial role council workers play in everyday life.
The Noble Speech | Womanity Foundation | TBWA\ | 2021
In the male-dominated field of science, female scientists have long been overlooked, with their achievements often credited to male colleagues. This has resulted in their exclusion from Nobel Prizes, denying them rightful recognition. To shed light on this unfairness, TBWA\RAAD, and The Womanity Foundation used technology to resurrect forgotten female scientists, allowing them to deliver their own unique, deserved, and long-awaited "Noble" speeches. By utilizing CGI and deep-face algorithms, the team recreated the scientists' faces and incorporated their own words and quotes from various sources. The campaign launched on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and garnered over $1,600,000 in earned media coverage, raising awareness and inspiring young girls to pursue scientific careers across the globe.
The Unforgotten Footballer | Mars Chocolate | 2019
Mars wanted to leverage their enduring partnership with the Football Association to extend support to the England Women's football team during the 2019 World Cup. To do so in they sought to champion the credibility of women in a sport dominated by the global prominence of the men's game. To achieve this, they embarked on the creation of the world's first statue of a female football player. Crafted in life-sized bronze, the statue depicted the remarkable Englishwoman, Lily Parr, whose extraordinary narrative captivated the British media and generated substantial earned media. Renowned for scoring nearly 1000 career goals, Lily Parr, transcended gender barriers. Despite the male authorities' ban on women's football in 1921, she persisted in playing the beautiful game. The grand unveiling of this ground-breaking statue took place on June 3rd, 2019, at the National Football Museum in Manchester, where it now stands proudly on permanent exhibition.
Highlight The Remarkable | Stabilo | DDB | 2018
In 2018, Stabilo Boss embarked on a mission to rewrite history. This goal was accomplished by truly "highlighting" significant figures. In their campaign, the iconic yellow stroke of the Stabilo Boss emphasized the contributions of three remarkable women, all of whom were unsung heroes: NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, US First Lady Edith Wilson, and Austrian-Swedish physicist Lise Meitner. Instead of merely mentioning them in texts, Stabilo Boss ingeniously highlighted these women in historical black-and-white photographs, where men traditionally occupied the foreground or centre. Through the power of the Stabilo Boss stroke, these previously overlooked women emerged as the focal points, accompanied by compelling narratives chronicling their exceptional achievements.
SeeTheSacrifice Haashim Initiative for Community Advancement | Hook Agency | 2022
To draw attention to the sacrifices of the Nigerian Army and turn mistrust and fear into admiration, they turned to the tropes of social media. By showing Nigerian soldiers in various missions and using the language of views and engagements typically found on social media, the army was able to show that despite their sacrifices, they were often unsung and uncelebrated. Turning the army’s feats into unseen social media posts helped highlight what the army does and encouraged people to support those who go unpraised with very little attention or credit.
Run For Life Zimbabwe | Red Cross | 2020
The Red Cross’s sole purpose is to prevent and ease human suffering in the face of any and all emergencies. When human crises occur and everyone runs away, the unsung heroes of the Red Cross run towards that challenge. This campaign demonstrates‚ in simple terms the impact the Red Cross’s aid has on people around the world.
