ATLANTA (Nov. 13, 2013)—The global poverty-fighting organization CARE and its creative agency of record, Brunner, have brought back the iconic CARE Package® in a new ad campaign that debuts in November. The campaign recalls the origin of the CARE Package but through a contemporary lens that showcases the sustainable solutions to poverty that define CARE’s work today.
CARE was founded after World War II to deliver packages of food and supplies to families struggling to survive in war-torn Europe. The CARE Package grew into a symbol of American generosity and, eventually, a popular term for thoughtful packages sent to college students, troops, or anyone in need.
“Today, rather than providing aid in cardboard boxes, CARE delivers long-term solutions to poverty, removing barriers facing women and girls and equipping them with the tools they need to improve their own lives,” said Tolli Love, CARE’s vice president of fundraising and marketing. “The CARE Package is a rare and precious asset, one that symbolizes humanity’s best instincts. We are thrilled Brunner helped us find a way to make the CARE Package relevant to CARE’s work today.”
“The image of the CARE Package helps people recall the roots of the organization or creates intrigue about the origin of the term,” said Rob Schapiro, Brunner’s chief creative officer. “But now the icon will stand for donations that extend far beyond the confines of a carton.”
The campaign, which breaks this month with ads in national magazines, such as Family Circle, Traditional Home, More, Ladies’ Home Journal and The New Republic, features a combination of print, outdoor, and ambient ads (look for CARE packages popping up in shopping malls, for example).
The CARE Package and the beneficiaries of CARE’s present-day work are the focal point of each piece. Coming out of the packages are objects you wouldn’t normally see in a box—from towering corn stalks to a confident-looking woman speaking before village elders. They represent the lasting improvements people in need receive when donors give to CARE. The personal stories of those who benefit from CARE’s work are shared on what looks to be the ripped cardboard of the box. The stamp on the cardboard lists the contents of the CARE Package with the line, “Deliver Lasting Change.” (See link below for access to the ads).
“The fact that a Google search of the term ‘care package’ delivers 156 million results shows that it still has tremendous equity,” said Schapiro. “The new creative shows sustainable solutions, such as girls’ education, that can’t be contained in a package and that will help people find their way out of poverty for good. This campaign demonstrates, in a provocative way, that today’s CARE Package has no expiration date.”
Additionally, CARE is scheduled to unveil nine oversized CARE Packages later this month at Atlantic Station in the Atlanta market, where the organization has its U.S. headquarters. Original photography for the campaign was shot in Kenya and India.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Last year CARE worked in 84 countries and reached more than 83 million people. To learn more, visit www.care.org.
About Brunner
Brunner is a $220 million independent advertising agency with more than 200 employees in offices in Pittsburgh and Atlanta. The agency provides a broad range of advertising and marketing services to clients, such as AARP, Bob Evans, CARE, Cub Cadet, Eaton Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline, GNC, Great Southern Wood, Heinz, Huffy, Philips Healthcare, and PPG Industries.
CARE Contacts
Nicole Harris – nharris@care.org 404-979-9503, 404-735-0871
Brian Feagans – bfeagans@care.org 404-979-9453, 404-457-4644
Brunner Contact
Amy Trow- atrow@brunnerworks.com 412-995-9557