International Rescue Committee

In March 2020, people around the world were grappling with a new, scary reality. That reality was especially difficult for the 70 million refugees and displaced people across the world.

The IRC needed to quickly and effectively break through, directing people’s attention to this escalating crisis.

We shared this story and the IRC’s mission in two different campaigns.

Film | Social

Refugees are Essential

In 2020, media outlets were constantly talking about who was “essential” and doing “essential work.”

For World Refugee Day, we flipped this language. We told the story of refugees on the front lines of the pandemic, showing how truly essential all refugees are. We highlighted refugees who took their difficult life experiences and used them to give back during the pandemic.

We had to get… very creative making these spots. We used iPhone clips, archived IRC footage, old IRC campaigns, and a few stock clips mixed in. With this overlaid treatment, we were able to work with lower-quality footage and simultaneously paying homage to refugees’ past.

This spot was voiced by the incredible Noma Dumezweni, who is also a refugee. She recorded the VO in her closet on an iPhone.