Crisis, the UK homeless charity marking its 40th Anniversary in 2011, is launching a celebrity-backed Christmas e-card campaign through creative agency Knifedge, designed to raise over £650,000 from corporate supporters in the City of London.
Celebrities including TV personality Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, actor Matthew Kelly, presenter and actor Joe Swash, Big Brother star Nasty Nick, “voice of the X-Factor” Peter Dickson and boy band Blue have all been lined up by Knifedge to feature in the new campaign.
The celebrities have been filmed in traditional pantomime roles to feature in short, entertaining scenes from Jack and the Beanstalk, set against the backdrop of a cut-out Victorian theatre. The script for the show has been written by Chris Jarvis, pantomime professional and CBeebies presenter and Ian Stone, standup comedian.
Companies throughout the City of London are being invited to support the campaign by visiting a dedicated Crisis at Christmas microsite and signing up to one of five packages. They can then deliver e-tickets to their contacts, inviting them to enjoy one of a choice of pantomime scenes at a dedicated microsite. Each scene ends with the strapline “Don’t make a panto out of a Crisis” before a personalised safety curtain descends on the scene, wishing recipients Happy Christmas from the company sending the cards.
The campaign is being promoted with a series of ads in the Financial Times, and all companies which purchase the e-cards will be thanked in future ads to run in the newspaper.
Knifedge was appointed by Crisis following its work on a similar Christmas e-card campaign last year. The campaign featured well-known comedians such as Alan Carr and Steve Pemberton popping out of rattling crackers to tell traditional Christmas jokes. So popular were the e-cards that the campaign raised over £650,000 for Crisis UK and won several charity and creative awards.
Jonathan Brigden, managing director of Knifedge, comments: “It’s great to be working with Crisis again this year on such an important campaign for the charity. We’ve a lot to live up to after last year’s success, but we’ve got a fantastic line up of celebrities again this year, and a fun new creative concept that we believe will once again really appeal to the target audience.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
About Knifedge:
Knifedge is a creative agency, producing award-winning live and digital content for brands, charities and the entertainment sector. The company’s work ranges from digital and broadcast design to live projections, set design, animation and film production. It has worked on everything from rock tours to Broadway shows; from charity films and digital campaigns to corporate websites; from global sporting events to TV titles, idents and creative marketing. www.knifedge.net
About Crisis:
Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. The charity is dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. www.crisis.org.uk
For further press information, please contact:
Nick Vellacott/Jessie Barstow
Highlight PR
01225 444268
nick@highlightpr.co.uk / jessie@highlightpr.co.uk
Celebrities including TV personality Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, actor Matthew Kelly, presenter and actor Joe Swash, Big Brother star Nasty Nick, “voice of the X-Factor” Peter Dickson and boy band Blue have all been lined up by Knifedge to feature in the new campaign.
The celebrities have been filmed in traditional pantomime roles to feature in short, entertaining scenes from Jack and the Beanstalk, set against the backdrop of a cut-out Victorian theatre. The script for the show has been written by Chris Jarvis, pantomime professional and CBeebies presenter and Ian Stone, standup comedian.
Companies throughout the City of London are being invited to support the campaign by visiting a dedicated Crisis at Christmas microsite and signing up to one of five packages. They can then deliver e-tickets to their contacts, inviting them to enjoy one of a choice of pantomime scenes at a dedicated microsite. Each scene ends with the strapline “Don’t make a panto out of a Crisis” before a personalised safety curtain descends on the scene, wishing recipients Happy Christmas from the company sending the cards.
The campaign is being promoted with a series of ads in the Financial Times, and all companies which purchase the e-cards will be thanked in future ads to run in the newspaper.
Knifedge was appointed by Crisis following its work on a similar Christmas e-card campaign last year. The campaign featured well-known comedians such as Alan Carr and Steve Pemberton popping out of rattling crackers to tell traditional Christmas jokes. So popular were the e-cards that the campaign raised over £650,000 for Crisis UK and won several charity and creative awards.
Jonathan Brigden, managing director of Knifedge, comments: “It’s great to be working with Crisis again this year on such an important campaign for the charity. We’ve a lot to live up to after last year’s success, but we’ve got a fantastic line up of celebrities again this year, and a fun new creative concept that we believe will once again really appeal to the target audience.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
About Knifedge:
Knifedge is a creative agency, producing award-winning live and digital content for brands, charities and the entertainment sector. The company’s work ranges from digital and broadcast design to live projections, set design, animation and film production. It has worked on everything from rock tours to Broadway shows; from charity films and digital campaigns to corporate websites; from global sporting events to TV titles, idents and creative marketing. www.knifedge.net
About Crisis:
Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. The charity is dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. www.crisis.org.uk
For further press information, please contact:
Nick Vellacott/Jessie Barstow
Highlight PR
01225 444268
nick@highlightpr.co.uk / jessie@highlightpr.co.uk