Hasta La Creative!

Imagine living a childhood without possibility of running with friends, playing ball in the yard, or even a mother’s embrace. As hard as it is to picture, this is the life of little Nastya, Max and 4,000 other kids all over Russia. They are called “the butterfly children” — those who were born with a rare genetic condition epidermolysis bullosa that occurs once in every 100,000 births. Their skin is so fragile that even the slightest touch causes pain and great damage.

However, now with the help of latest banking technologies, people can help the butterfly children without a single touch.

In December 2016, Citi and Mastercard launched an initiative — “The Untouchables” — with the aim to help BELA Fund raise donations to improve the lives of little patients all over the country. Even though currently there is no cure for epidermolysis bullosa, there are still ways to support butterfly children and their families in the lifelong endeavour that is living with this difficult diagnosis.

To this end, a series of customized posters with built-in technology of contactless payment has been created. A person can make an instant donation in the amount of 100 Rubles by simply waving a bank card or any other payment device in front of the poster. No touch required.

The posters can be found in the most popular 50 places around Moscow and St. Petersburg — restaurants, hotels, shopping malls — as well as in all Citibank branches in these cities.

The refugee crisis has touched many corners of the globe and Canada is no exception. The country has become a safe haven for newcomers looking to rebuild their lives while preserving their identity and culture.

The Afghan Woman’s Organization (AWO) is on the front lines of this important settlement work, helping more than 100 landed immigrations and refugees per month.

To further build awareness around the Mississauga-based non-profit’s wide range of services, Toronto creative agency send + receive has created a series of TV commercials.

Produced by Someplace Nice and directed by Sean McBride, the 15-second spots “Wellness Café”, “Job Skills” and “Literacy” showcase different facets of AWO’s services using simple yet powerful imagery of Afghan women supporting newly arrived Canadians.

The ads are shot in a single take and uses staging inspired by live theatre to show community-based solutions to challenges faced by newly arrived refugees.

Each spot features a character sitting alone in a room – an older woman, a seven-year-old boy and his mother and a young woman – grappling with a problem when a group of Afghan women arrive and transform the space into a welcoming and nurturing environment. They will begin airing on April 1, 2017 and broadcast through December 31, 2017.