Mel McDonagh
Iris agency has partnered with a new charity called HEROES to raise awareness and money for the NHS staff working in the fight against Covid-19.
As part of the joint work, they’ve worked with 26 professional photographers to help raise awareness, and help drive the ‘stay at home’ message.
The campaign, ‘Stay Home Heroes’, is made up of imagery that heroes ordinary people who are following the rules by staying home, to support the NHS against the spread of Covid-19.
The photos take a quirky look at the mundane tasks enjoyed during the lockdown period, with domestic acts glorified and shown as legendary heroic triumphs that help to save lives.
The campaign also invites people to join the #StayHomeHeroes social media challenge, by taking a heroic picture of a friend or family member, tagging the Heroes charity (@helpthemhelpus_ ) and nominating a friend to do the same – spreading the message further.
Iris mobilised the photographers to shoot compelling portraits using the resources available to them in lockdown; flatmates and partners became models, make-up artists and stylists were dialled in, art directors and tech assistants advised via Zoom, some even had remote-controlled cameras operating in their assistant’s homes.
Since word of the campaign broke on social, photographers and creatives have been coming forward in droves take part and help make a difference.
The portraits have started to go live in OOH locations nationwide thanks to a donation from Clear Channel.
Ross Taylor, Creative Director, Iris, says:
“As we pass ‘peak’ and begin to face lockdown fatigue a huge number of people from all demographics will continue to flout the government’s advice to stay home, potentially putting an unimaginable amount of lives at risk.”
“This project is about shifting the focus from shaming ‘flouters’ to a positive celebration of all the people who are abiding by the lockdown rules. The ambition is to promote behaviour change through example and raise money for an awesome cause that’s protecting the people on the frontline – HEROES.”
Post lockdown the professional photography will be exhibited at a gallery event selling limited edition photography prints and books, donated by printed.com to raise further funds for Heroes.
NHS Dr and Co-founder Dominic Pimenta, says: “We are dedicated to a single ideal, ‘anything that makes an NHS worker’s life better. This crisis will see many of my colleagues face the most challenging time of their lives.
“The government and management are swamped already, so we set up HEROES to support the frontline workers for now and far into the future. We must do all we can to protect and defend it at this difficult time.
