Forever Manchester
Campaign film to encourage local people to support a fantastic Manchester charity
Created at
Transmission
Deliverables
Campaign / Design / Film / Art direction
Project
Charity... The Mancunian Way
Sector
Not-for-Profit
Project information
Background
Forever Manchester is Greater Manchester's Community Foundation, dedicated to funding and supporting grassroots community projects that make a lasting difference across the region. Since 1989, the charity has invested more than £60million into local communities, helping over 1,300 projects every year. I was commissioned to develop a campaign concept, creative direction, film, visual identity and supporting marketing assets that would raise awareness, inspire donations and celebrate the charity's uniquely Mancunian spirit.
The creative challenge
The breakthrough came from recognising that Forever Manchester isn't just a charity based in Manchester, it's a charity that embodies Manchester's attitude. That insight inspired the campaign platform Charity... The Mancunian Way, a line that nodded to the famous Mancunian Way while celebrating the city's humour, resilience and independent spirit. Rather than relying on emotional stereotypes, I chose humour to make a more human connection.
The campaign followed a Mancunian navigating the city while being approached by a series of fictional charities, including Fashion Disaster Relief, Defend the Dodo and ManFlu Research. Each with its own bespoke identity and personality. The story culminated in him choosing to support Forever Manchester in his own way, by throwing an impromptu rave in Piccadilly Gardens, complete with a cameo from Happy Mondays singer Rowetta. The result was a campaign full of personality that challenged charity conventions, generated conversation and gave Forever Manchester a distinctive voice that felt every bit as authentic as the city it represents.
Creativity with character
The breakthrough came from recognising that Forever Manchester isn't just a charity based in Manchester, it's a charity that embodies Manchester's attitude. That insight inspired the campaign platform Charity... The Mancunian Way, a line that nodded to the famous Mancunian Way while celebrating the city's humour, resilience and independent spirit. Rather than relying on emotional stereotypes, I chose humour to make a more human connection.
The campaign followed a Mancunian navigating the city while being approached by a series of fictional charities, including Fashion Disaster Relief, Defend the Dodo and ManFlu Research. Each with its own bespoke identity and personality. The story culminated in him choosing to support Forever Manchester in his own way, by throwing an impromptu rave in Piccadilly Gardens, complete with a cameo from Happy Mondays singer Rowetta. The result was a campaign full of personality that challenged charity conventions, generated conversation and gave Forever Manchester a distinctive voice that felt every bit as authentic as the city it represents.
Behind the scenes
