PR TO HELP US REMEMBER
Posted By Andy Smith
Throughout this week, the media has covered a series of awe-inspiring tributes to mark the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I.
The breathtaking field of 888,246 porcelain poppies – each representing a British military fatality from WWI – planted outside the Tower of London was inspirational. This dramatic art installation, alongside the poignant images of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at a sombre twilight ceremony, are amongst some of the most featured photographs. The photos appeared in publications ranging from The Telegraph to celebrity favourite magazine, Hello!
Lights Out – a nationwide event organised by 14-18 NOW – saw households, businesses and public buildings across the UK turn out their lights to leave a single candle burning. The coverage showcasing the Blackpool Illuminations and Big Ben in pitch darkness was an extremely powerful way to portray a message of national unity and remembrance.
However, one campaign really captured my attention. The British Legion launched a series of posters celebrating the lives of late soldiers, who just so happened to share their names with some of today’s most popular, high-profile figures.
Harry Styles, Andy Murray and Alex Ferguson were amongst those honoured in the series of thought-provoking posters, each revealing the story of the respective fallen soldier. The artwork was published on the Every Man Remembered website, which commemorates serviceman who died in WWI.
The simplicity of this campaign is what makes it so effective. It’s insightful and extremely powerful, using pop-culture to tap into a nation obsessed with celebrity. It did, however, cause a frenzy across social media platforms as One Direction fans feared the worst for their beloved pop-idol.
The British Legion’s campaign goes to show that budgets don’t always have to be sky-high to garner an impact – sometimes it’s the simplest things that make a nation stop and think.
Bryan Bell, account manager
@peppertweets