Foundry for UNHCR: Solidarity for Refugees

According to the UNHCR, there are currently around 110 million displaced people worldwide - more than ever before. In Germany, more than two million refugees have currently found protection. At the same time, the issue of refugees continues to be the subject of controversy. In light of repeated attempts to restrict access to territory and asylum procedures for people seeking protection, UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, is calling for a clear commitment to refugee protection. To this end, Foundry has developed an attention-grabbing campaign for Germany that is designed to impress with its empathy. The campaign "Refugees need solidarity" was developed by Foundry in close cooperation with UNHCR Germany and Wall.

"Refugees are people without choice. They have been displaced and need international protection - regardless of origin and destination. It wasn't long ago that many Germans also had to flee. This may contribute to the fact that so many in Germany are committed to refugees today," explains Chris Melzer, Senior External Relations Officer at UNHCR Germany.

"We often forget that Germans themselves had to flee war and persecution in the past. By working with the UNHCR, we were able to delve deeply into the topic," explains Foundry CEO Sacha Moser. "Images from the World War II era and current images show startling parallels." People fleeing with what little they could save. Families in front of destroyed houses. Mothers comforting their children. People along railroad tracks or in mass transports. Children holding on to their only toy. These striking similarities form the basis for the creative realization of the campaign.

Over 80 years - from World War II to the present day - these parallels have been juxtaposed in images. Analog lenticular printing and digital animation were used to capture this transformation. Each photo was carefully selected and researched by the team. The concept was completed in collaboration with Wall, which donates its digital billboards to the UNHCR.

The Wall and Foundry team was present at the UNHCR launch in Berlin. The publication was also accompanied by four women from different generations who once had to flee themselves.

Wall is showing the campaign at hundreds of OOH locations in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Dresden, Ludwigshafen, Bremen, Dortmund, Stuttgart and other cities.

Responsible for UNHCR Germany: Chris Melzer (Senior External Relations Officer - UNHCR Germany); Matthias Wichmann (Senior External Relations Assistant - UNHCR Germany). Responsible at Foundry Berlin|Zurich: Sacha Moser (Creative Partner, CEO); Nishant John (Creative Director); Gustavo Frazao (Head of Art); Gregor Wollenweber (Head of Production); Maximilian Lange-Brandenburg (Text); Rachel Pirthauer (Client Services). Partner Production and Media: Wall.