The Irish homelessness charity, Dublin Simon Community has launched a new campaign using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, in what is a first for Irish advertising.
Created by BBDO Dublin and New York-based production company Lobo, the film is called Unfair City and it highlights the growing inequality of homelessness and the need to raise funds for the charity.
Unfair City tells the story of Justin Cannon who was once homeless himself but now advocates and volunteers for Dublin Simon. Cannon was interviewed and his story animated using AI image generators with the AI imagery created by his own words. The end result is a moving film that mirrors his experience being homeless.
“One of the difficulties of telling stories of homelessness is that it can be very exposing for Dublin Simon’s clients,” says Robert Boyle, creative director and head of art, BBDO Dublin.
“Reliving traumatic moments in their lives in front of cameras, lights, and microphones can make them feel very vulnerable. The great benefit of using AI in this instance is that it allowed Justin to tell his story on his own terms in a way that was still visually engaging and evocative,” he adds.
All work carried out by advertising agency, BBDO Dublin, director Diogo Kalil of Lobo and illustrator Vini Bustamante was completed on a pro-bono basis for Dublin Simon Community.
“At Dublin Simon Community, Innovation is one of the core values which underpins everything we do,” says Catherine Kenny, CEO of Dublin Simon Community.
“For over 50 years, against the odds and with limited resources, we have strived to bring new and creative ideas to deliver the best possible services for the people who rely on our help. As we continue to navigate unchartered territory and unprecedented levels of homelessness and housing insecurity, innovation is needed now more than ever to protect the almost 9,000 people stuck in emergency accommodation in Dublin and the surrounding counties and the thousands more living in fear of losing their homes,” she says.
“The potential for this technology is huge for the charity sector. From our perspective, it provides our clients with an opportunity to tell their stories in a way that empowers them while protecting their dignity and privacy. We would like to thank Justin for coming on board to pioneer this new opportunity and BBDO Dublin for their continued support, creativity and commitment to our vision,” she adds.
Dublin Simon UNFAIR CITY Credits:
Creative Agency : BBDO Dublin
Executive Creative Director: Shane O’Brien
Creative Director/Concept: Robert Boyle
Strategy Director/Concept: Adriano Eliezer
Art Director/Concept: Vinicius Bustamante
Copywriter: Donal Gaughran
Creative Director/copywriter: Eoin Conlon
Head of Innovation: Ed Leamy
Head of Account Management: Katie Cunningham
Senior Account Manager: Emma Blaney
Head of Production: Jess Derby
Agency Producer: Hannah Lambert
Multimedia Producer: Ali Kearney
Connections Strategy: Alex Boucher
Head of Strategy: Paul Fisher
Chief Executive: Neal Davies
PR Agency: Harte Media
Communications Specialist: Garret Harte
Associate Director: Catherine Monaghan
Client: Dublin Simon Community
Chief Executive Officer: Catherine Kenny
Communications & Marketing Manager: Caoimhe O’Connell
Head of Fundraising and Communications : Aisling Harmey
Senior Marketing Executive: Louise Murphy
Senior Communications Executive: Frances Macken
Marketing & Communications Executive: Omoyele Rahman
Production Studio : Lobo
Director : Diogo Kalil @ LOBO
Executive Producer: Loic Francois Marie Dubois, Micheal Stanish.
Account Manager: Su Constantine
Head of production: Marcelo Barbosa, Clara Morelli
Post Production: Bruna Boretto
AI Illustration: Diogo Kalil with MidJourney
Animation: Igor Lopes
Music Composition : HEYHEYMYMY
Music Director: Mairena Julius
Sound Effects and Mix by HEYHEYMYMY
Final Sound : Scimitar
Final Sound Mix : Dean Jones, Jordan Mullen, Alex Derby @ Scimitar
