01
/04
Christmas Campaign
This speculative campaign reimagines Shelter’s annual Christmas appeal with a focus on exclusion and visibility. Centred on the line “Yes, they know it’s Christmas,” the campaign contrasts the warmth of Christmas inside with the brutal reality faced by children and families locked out of safe housing.
The creative execution includes a stark OOH poster and a 30-second advert that subverts the charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” into a chilling indictment of indifference.
The campaign is designed to shock, provoke empathy, and channel outrage into action: immediate donations to Shelter and greater public awareness of the 161,500 children facing homelessness this Christmas.
Poster
Idea
A stark poster showing a child’s hand pressed against frosted glass, with the blurred glow of a Christmas tree just out of reach inside.
My Role
Developed the concept and metaphor (“closed out” vs “warmth inside”).
Wrote all copy on the poster.
Researched Shelter’s previous Christmas campaigns
Notes / Intended Impact
The poster is designed to deliver an immediate gut-punch: a child visibly excluded from Christmas warmth. The copy reinforces the injustice and urgency, turning empathy into action with a clear and affordable donation ask.
Potential Expansion
The poster adapts easily to OOH placements (bus shelters, billboards, train stations), and could be supported by digital versions (Instagram carousel showing “24 closed doors until Christmas”) to extend reach across channels.
Advert Script
Idea
The campaign flips the infamous charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” on its head. Instead of asking if children know it’s Christmas, the film shows the painful reality: they know all too well — because they’re shut out of the warmth, joy, and safety it represents.
My Role
Wrote the full script, including stage directions, VO, supers, and production notes.
Crafted the narrative arc: stark opening, building contrast, gut-punch line, urgent CTA.
Considered previous Shelter campaigns for tone.
Notes / Intended Impact
The advert is deliberately brutal: contrasting festive excess with exclusion and homelessness. The subversion of a well-known Christmas song highlights the cruelty of the situation. The intended effect is shock, outrage, and an urgent emotional pull to donate.
Potential Expansion
The concept can scale into:
Press ads featuring stills from the film with simplified copy.
Cut-downs for social media (15s versions).
Radio spot using the same VO and song.
Digital banners echoing the “Yes, they do know it’s Christmas” line.
02
/04
“Open Eyes, Open Doors”
Open Eyes, Open Doors is a speculative awareness campaign for Shelter, centred on a large-scale stunt at the London Eye. Activists in red and white T-shirts assemble on the ground to form the image of an eye with a door at its centre — a striking visual captured by drones and visible from above.
The campaign asks the public to “open their eyes” to the scale of the housing emergency, particularly the 169,500 children trapped in temporary accommodation, and to “open doors” by supporting Shelter’s fight for safe, permanent homes.
This concept combines high-impact visuals with policy relevance, echoing Shelter’s history of bold public interventions. It is designed to grab media attention, spark conversation on social media under the hashtag #OpenEyesOpenDoors, and drive both donations and political action.
Blog Post
Idea
A stunt staged at the London Eye where activists formed the shape of a giant eye with a door at its centre. The metaphor: open your eyes to the hidden homelessness crisis and open doors to safe homes. The blog reports on this event as though it happened, blending spectacle with Shelter’s campaigning voice.
My Role
Conceptualised the campaign themeand its visual execution.
Researched and integrated verified statistics on child homelessness in temporary accommodation.
Wrote the blog in Shelter’s house style: a mix of emotive storytelling, clear policy asks, and direct CTAs.
Notes / Intended Impact
Visibility: If real, the London Eye stunt would deliver iconic imagery designed to capture national press attention and social virality.
Reframing homelessness: Moves focus from rough sleeping to the hidden homelessness crisis of families in hostels and B&Bs.
Policy link: Connects spectacle directly to Shelter’s calls for social housing, housing benefit reform, and safe accommodation.
Action-driven: Three clear CTAs
Potential Expansion
Social Media Campaign: Drone footage and graphics repurposed as carousels, Stories, and stat-led posts (#OpenEyesOpenDoors). See social media panel for examples.
Press and Media: National press releases and interviews with Shelter spokespeople amplifying the stunt’s message.
Merchandising: Red T-shirts with the campaign slogan sold online, with proceeds funding Shelter’s helpline.
Social Media
Idea
To extend the impact of the invented Open Eyes, Open Doors stunt, I designed a set of social media posts across X/Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. These are designed to highlight the scale of child homelessnessand channel outrage into immediate action. Obviously, if real, these would be even more impactful by using striking visuals from the London Eye stunt.
My Role
Developed the campaign hashtag #OpenEyesOpenDoors and ensured consistent use across platforms.
Wrote copy for multiple formats: stat-led posts, event imagery captions, and donation asks.
Scripted and designed Instagram carousel slides with attention to Shelter’s tone (short, stark, urgent).
Applied SEO-friendly phrasing for posts linking back to the blog.
Notes / Intended Impact
Reach & visibility: Social-first content designed to generate virality, graphics, and bold stats. Real event would be boosted through real images.
Message control: Carousel provide space for layered storytelling.
Consistency: All channels reinforce the same message: hidden homelessness is vast, urgent, and solvable.
Potential Expansion
TikTok/Reels: 15-second clips combining drone footage, parent quotes, and Shelter’s CTA screen.
User participation: Encourage supporters to post their own “eye” images with the hashtag to broaden the symbolism’s reach.
Influencer amplification: Partner with campaigners and celebrities to repost stunt imagery with Shelter’s key stat.
03
/04
Renters’ Rights Bill: Royal Assent
This speculative brand voice campaign for Shelter, envisions the future passage of the Renters’ Rights Bill through Parliament in September 2025. I have chosen the date September 19 2025, before the Labour Party Conference and imagined the potential reaction.
The campaign calls on the public, policymakers, and the media to recognise that this Bill is not just legislation, but a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix a broken rental system. It focuses on ending Section 21 “no-fault” evictions, strengthening tenant protections, and ensuring councils have the resources to enforce the new rules.
This concept combines authoritative brand voice with policy urgency, echoing Shelter’s history of holding governments to account. It is designed to shape the public narrative, keep political pressure high, and reaffirm Shelter as the leading voice for the UK’s 11 million private renters.
Blog Post
Idea
This blog was created to mark the imagined future passage of the Renters’ Rights Bill into law, reframing a technical policy milestone as a human story. It explains the Act’s key reforms — the abolition of Section 21 evictions, rolling tenancies, a Decent Homes Standard, and limits on excessive upfront rent — and sets them in the context of Shelter’s ongoing fight for housing justice.
My Role
Researched the Renters’ Rights Bill and confirmed latest developments.
Drafted the blog in Shelter’s house style, blending policy detail with empathetic, people-centric storytelling.
Integrated verified statistics and relevant Shelter links (advice, campaigns, social housing, donations) to strengthen authenticity and SEO.
Structured the blog for clarity and accessibility, using SEO-friendly subheadings and plain English explanations of legal changes.
Notes / Intended Impact
Awareness: Make renters aware of their new rights in practical terms.
Empathy: Ground reforms in human experiences to highlight why legal changes matter.
Campaign relevance: Position Shelter as the leading authority on private renting and housing reform.
Mobilisation: Turn awareness into action through clear CTAs — donate, join campaigns, share.
Potential Expansion
Advice Hub Series: A set of follow-up blogs breaking down each reform (e.g., “Your Rights After Section 21 is Abolished”).
Case Studies: Profiles of renters whose lives change under the new Act, showing impact in real time.
Cross-Channel Campaign: Social content (stat graphics, carousels, Q&A videos) linked back to the blog.
Policy Briefings: Professional resources summarising gaps that remain and Shelter’s demands for next steps, such as more social housing.
Press Release
Idea
This press release announces the imagines the future Royal Assent of the Renters’ Rights Bill, transforming it into the Renters’ Rights Act. It positions Shelter as the authoritative campaign voice at a historic policy moment, celebrating key wins (ending Section 21 evictions, rolling tenancies, Decent Homes Standard, curbs on upfront rent) while warning that enforcement and investment are essential.
My Role
Drafted the press release in a professional, media-facing style: sharp headline, strong lead, clear quote, bulleted demands.
Integrated Shelter’s campaigning language with factual policy detail.
Linked to Shelter’s advice pages and campaign resources to encourage reader action and media pickup.
Notes / Intended Impact
Media coverage: Provide journalists with a clear, quotable story framing the Act as both victory and unfinished business.
Thought leadership: Position Shelter as the leading authority on renters’ rights at the exact moment legislation changes.
Accountability: Apply pressure on government to fund councils and deliver enforcement.
Engagement: Direct the public to Shelter’s advice and campaign pages to learn their new rights.
Potential Expansion
Media Pack: Accompany the release with case studies, fact sheets, and graphics showing the impact of Section 21 evictions.
Regional Press: Tailor versions with local case studies to secure coverage in city and regional outlets.
Social Rollout: Shortened press release versions repurposed for LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Instagram posts.
Follow-up Statement: After implementation, issue updates on whether government is meeting enforcement commitments.
04
/04
Stop The Clock
Stop The Clock is a speculative fundraising campaign for Shelter, reinterpreting the symbolism of the Doomsday Clock to dramatise the urgency of the housing emergency. Each “tick” of the clock represents families being served eviction notices, households forced out by bailiffs, and children growing up in temporary accommodation.
The campaign is built around stark, time-based messaging and verified statistics — including the fact that 172 families a day are served no-fault eviction notices and 31 households a day are forcibly evicted by bailiffs. The visual metaphor of a clock approaching midnight transforms abstract numbers into an immediately recognisable crisis.
This concept is designed to work across multiple channels. The leaflet/mailer uses a bold front cover clockface with the line “The Homelessness Clock is Ticking”. The email version mirrors this urgency with the subject line “The Homelessness Clock is about to strike midnight”, driving digital donations.
By reframing homelessness through the language of time running out, the campaign delivers a powerful call to supporters: stop the clock, and open the door to safety.
Idea
The email reimagines the Doomsday Clock as the Homelessness Clock, a powerful metaphor for the urgency of the housing emergency. Each “tick” symbolises families losing their homes, eviction notices being served, and children entering temporary accommodation. The message is simple but stark: the clock is close to midnight — and only supporter action can stop it.
My Role
Developed the Homelessness Clock concept as a creative fundraising metaphor.
Researched and applied verified Shelter statistics: 172 families served no-fault eviction notices daily, 31 households evicted by bailiffs daily.
Wrote all copy, including subject line (“The Homelessness Clock is about to strike midnight”), header, body, and CTA.
Ensured Shelter’s brand voice: uncompromising, emotive, and action-focused.
Notes / Intended Impact
Emotion: The ticking clock metaphor provokes urgency and fear of time running out.
Awareness: Translates abstract eviction data into a recognisable cultural symbol (midnight clock).
Fundraising: Builds towards a direct donation ask — “Stop the Clock — Donate £10 Now.”
Consistency: Designed to align seamlessly with the physical mailer, creating a cohesive cross-channel campaign.
Potential Expansion
Digital Animation: Animated “Homelessness Clock” counting up eviction notices in real time on Shelter’s website.
Social Media: Short video versions for Instagram Stories and TikTok, showing the clock moving toward midnight with stats overlay.
Press/PR Stunt: Projection of a Homelessness Clock countdown onto Parliament or major landmarks.
Community Fundraising: Encourage supporters to host “Stop the Clock” fundraising events, using the imagery as a unifying symbol.
Leaflet / Mailer
Idea
This leaflet reimagines the Doomsday Clock as the Homelessness Clock, a visual metaphor showing how close we are to midnight on the housing emergency. Each “tick” represents families losing their homes, eviction notices being served, and children pushed into unsafe temporary accommodation.
The front cover delivers stark simplicity: a black clockface with Shelter’s red roof mark and the line “The Homelessness Clock Is Ticking.” The back cover grounds the metaphor with verified daily statistics:
- 172 families a day are served no-fault eviction notices (one every 8 minutes).
- 11,400 households a year — 31 a day — are evicted by bailiffs.
- Tens of thousands of children are growing up without a safe place to call home.
The message is clear: time is running out, but supporters can “Stop the Clock” with their donation.
My Role
Conceived the Homelessness Clock as a fresh creative metaphor with emotional and visual weight.
Researched and integrated Shelter’s latest verified statistics (evictions, bailiffs, children in temporary accommodation).
Wrote front and back cover copy and designed leaflet: stark headline, body text with statistics, and urgent CTA.
Aligned copy with Shelter’s voice: uncompromising, emotive, and campaign-led.
Notes / Intended Impact
Urgency: The ticking clock metaphor is instantly recognisable and conveys crisis.
Clarity: Statistics broken into per-day numbers make the scale easier to grasp.
Fundraising: Direct, simple CTA — “Text HOME to 70707 to give £3.”
Consistency: Works alongside the email and across potential digital channels, reinforcing the campaign theme #StopTheClock.
Potential Expansion
Digital animation: A real-time “Homelessness Clock” for Shelter’s website, counting evictions per minute.
Social media: Shareable graphics with ticking clock visuals and #StopTheClock hashtag.
PR stunt: Project a Homelessness Clock countdown onto Parliament or major landmarks to coincide with media coverage. Hand out clocks to MPs and other figures.
Supporter packs: Send postcard-sized versions of the leaflet to supporters, encouraging them to spread the message.
©2025 Michael East