A campaign to give refugees a safe place to call home

Today a record number of people around the world are being forced to flee their homes to escape war and violence. Unfortunately our governments aren’t doing enough to resettle refugees. In 2017, Ben & Jerry’s partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to do something about it. Ben & Jerry’s wanted to call on their fans to support the Union Resettlement Framework - a key piece of legislation that would give targets to European countries to resettle refugees, with a focus on the most vulnerable.

We produced a short animation for social media that would help to mobilise Ben & Jerry’s fans across key European markets. Because of the pan-European nature of the Framework, we based the concept of the animation on the ubiquitous ‘Welcome’ doormat. It’s an object that breaks down cultural boundaries and reminds us of our good neighbourly spirit. The story of the animation plays out through the doormat itself, with a short and simple message that we need to give refugees a safe place to call home.

The animation was promoted across Ben & Jerry’s and IRC’s social media channels in all key European markets. With over 350,000 views, the animation directed fans to campaign page on Ben & Jerry’s website. The petition received over 19,500 signatures, which helped the legislation to pass the critical first hurdle.