Foundation to Thrive

For decades, the public conversation about social housing has been dominated by the negative: homelessness, temporary accommodation and a chronic shortage of affordable homes. Shelter’s in-house creative team wanted to change that narrative and build support for a new generation of social homes by showing what happens when people do have access to them.

Foundation to Thrive is a celebration of the generations who have grown up in social housing and gone on to shape our culture and communities. From Adele, Paul McCartney and Oasis to sporting legends, writers, campaigners and everyday community heroes, the campaign showed the extraordinary contribution made by people who had a secure, affordable place to begin their lives.

Shelter’s in-house team led the campaign from insight and strategy through creative development and scripting to rollout. Working with selected production and media partners, the team delivered an integrated campaign spanning film, social, digital, regional OOH, print, radio and reactive content. Localized executions across London Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Yorkshire at high impact moments brought the argument directly into places where political support mattered.

The campaign generated 8.3 million impressions, 6.2 million video views and 12,000 visits to the campaign site, while participating celebrities shared the work with a further 6.1 million followers.

Most importantly, Foundation to Thrive helped to change the conversation: social housing is not simply a response to homelessness, but a foundation from which people, communities and the country can thrive.