United Way and Pantone Color Institute™ join forces to make local issues Unignorable
- The organization’s largest national integrated campaign shines the spotlight on local issues
- Multi-media partnerships include an installation at Nuit Blanche
TORONTO – You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know it exists. In our busy world, important local social issues can often go unnoticed. United Way wants to change that.That’s why today, United Way announced that they have partnered with the Pantone Color Institute™ to create Unignorable – a brand new colour developed specifically to highlight local issues and bring attention to the millions of Canadians impacted by them. This new colour is the foundation of the United Way’s largest integrated public awareness campaign to date.
The national campaign will kick-off with a public début at Toronto’s Nuit Blanche on September 29. An immersive and interactive art installation will live in the heart of the city at Nathan Phillips Square from 7 p.m. – 7 a.m., and will emulate the feelings of isolation, helplessness and uncertainty that millions of Canadians experience. Dressed in Unignorable, a custom colour developed for United Way by the Pantone Color Institute™, the thought-provoking piece will bring attention to these issues and act as a venue for people to learn more about how they can get involved. Visitors are encouraged to share their experience on social media using #unignorable.
"Issues like poverty, youth unemployment and social isolation negatively impact our communities by holding too many people back,” says United Way Greater Toronto President and CEO, Daniele Zanotti. “To tackle these complex issues, we need everyone in communities across Canada to show their support. But first, we need their attention.”
“To highlight these issues, we wanted to create a distinctive color that was virtually unignorable; a color whose 'can’t miss' high visibility immediately stops you in your tracks,”says Laurie Pressman, Vice President, Pantone Color Institute™. “Displaying a radiant glow that instantly mesmerizes, this irresistibly captivating coral shade we call 'Unignorable' stands out from its surroundings, draws immediate attention and with its high physicality, induces us to act."
The multi-media, fully integrated campaign, draws on a long tradition of art for social change. It includes images designed by award-winning international illustrator Malika Favre, whose bold pieces have appeared on the cover of The New Yorker and within campaigns for Vogue, BAFTA and Sephora. Favre’s customized designs will captivate onlookers with the Unignorable colour at the forefront, while the illustrations will command attention for issues that hold too many Canadians back: poverty; youth unemployment; social isolation; domestic violence; hunger; mental health; education inequality; and homelessness.
The campaign's launch film, directed by Montreal-based Benjamin Nicolas, uses colour as a universal language to remind everyone that poverty and inequality surround us. Awareness is just the beginning, the difference-maker is to act. The video and all video assets will live on YouTube and United Way’s social channels.
If you love where you live, you can show your local love by taking action and ensuring that local issues are unignorable. Canadians are encouraged to visit showyourlocallove.ca on September 29 (landing page available as of September 26) to learn more about the issues, find out how the colour was created and be a part of the movement by sharing the campaign on social media, and wearing the campaign on unignorable merchandise.
Website: showyourlocallove.ca
Hashtag: #Unignorable
About the United Way Unignorable Campaign
United Way in Canada and the Pantone® Colour Institute have joined forces in a national campaign to help make local issues unignorable. With a shared goal of raising awareness of local issues that are easily ignored, the organizations have come together to help motivate individuals to support their local communities. The Unignorable campaign, in tandem with the United Way’s ongoing Local Love campaign, aims to encourage people to act and address core issues affecting their local communities.
The colour created by Pantone®, aptly named Unignorable, is a friendly and engaging orange coral whose animated luminosity positively glows. Spirited yet sociable, the viewer is boldly drawn in to notice Unignorable, and is encouraged to connect with their communities, sharing their love locally.
In addition to their passion and commitment to the mission of United Way, each of the following partners on the campaign brought considerable pro bono resources and bonusing. Credit for the concept for Unignorable and the Pantone and Malika Favre partnerships go to TAXI. The TV spot was directed by Benjamin Nicholas of 4Zero1, the colour creation documentary was directed and music designed by Lossless Creative.
Media planning and buying was managed by Touché, a division of Omnicon Media Group. Public relations, including the Nuit Blanche partnership, was executed by Rock-it Promotions.
About United Way: Since 1919, the United Way Centraide (UWC) Movement has been dedicated to creating opportunities for a better life for all Canadians. The United Way Centraide Movement is a federated network of United Way and Centraide offices serving more than 5,000 communities across Canada. Each United Way and Centraide is registered as a nonprofit organization governed by a volunteer-led, local board of directors. Together we are the United Way Centraide Movement working to create sustainable solutions to the social issues faced by local communities across Canada.
