Choose Love: Love Without Borders

​Insight​

Amidst Covid-19, Choose Love’s in-person holiday shopping and fundraising events are disrupted, placing refugees at risk of spending winter without the survival essentials typically delivered by the grassroots organisation.

For the past five years, Choose Love’s people-powered initiatives have countered Black Friday consumerism, raising millions for refugees and displaced communities facing harsh winter conditions.

Idea

Transcend pandemic restrictions with an enhanced e-commerce store open 24/7, allowing donators to help refugees no matter when or where they are in the world.

In 2020 — a year with endless global challenges — Choose love invites everyone to join together for Love Without Borders.

In need of a virtual solution, the existing e-commerce website is reimagined with a new visual language, toolkit, imagery, and improved functionality. Through Choose Love, online donators can purchase real essentials: from warm meals and clothing to mental health services. And for the first time, personalised e-cards are made available, allowing donators to send loved ones a custom note when a donation is made on their behalf.

The initiative is supported by PR, paid media, influencers, and social media.

Impact

Kindness conquers all. Over £2.5m raised through the purchase of more than 107,000 essential items online.

The public response is overwhelmingly positive, leading to a rise in social media interactions, including 36.3k new followers on Instagram and 213k engaged users on Facebook.

Moving forward, Choose Love is less dependent on in-person events, placing confidence in the ability of e-commerce to not only supplement, but sustain, future fundraising initiatives.

"We did not think this result would be possible without busy and buzzing real-world stores. AKQA’s vision and expertise has been instrumental."

Philli Boyle, Choose Love, Director of Partnerships