We all felt helpless in the face of 2020’s constant barrage of disasters and catastrophes. And 2021 hasn’t let up either. Last year, Australian Red Cross experienced its biggest demand since World War II, so it has responded with a new brand campaign via DDB Sydney, bringing attention to this overwhelming feeling and highlighting its 106-year track record of helping in crises of all kinds.

In the animated spot set to ‘Where to Start’, an original track written and recorded by Australian artists Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall, all the world’s problems are playing out in a man’s neighbourhood. He desperately wants to help, but doesn’t know where to start. That’s when Australian Red Cross enters the scene.

Says Belinda Dimovski, director of engagement and support, Australian Red Cross: “When times are tough and problems feel overwhelming, Australian Red Cross is helping the community and we hope to inspire Australians to act with us. We’re so pleased with how DDB Sydney brought that idea to life in this campaign, the first as part of our new brand platform.”

Says Matt Chandler, executive creative director, DDB Sydney: “This project was a labour of love by a global force of brilliant creative people, from the incredible craftsmanship of the animators to the impossibly whistle-able track that Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall wrote pro-bono for us. At every stage, we were blown away by people’s willingness to jump in and get involved in support of Red Cross.”

For more than a century, Australian Red Cross has been on the front line of emergencies, helping refugees and migrants, promoting the laws of war, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, engaging in community activations, and assisting those disadvantaged by the justice system.

The brand campaign – the organisation’s first in almost 10 years – comes amid increasing pressure on individual and corporate donations for Australian Red Cross, and is running across TV, online, social and digital.