BBH Barn creatives craft Father's Day cards for homeless dads

The work for homeless charity Dads House was produced by students from BBH’s creative placement scheme The Barn

By Creative Salon

16 June 2023

Creatives from BBH’s creative placement scheme, The Barn, have partnered with homeless charity Dads House to design Father's Day cards specifically for dads experiencing homelessness.

86% of homeless people in London are male. Of that, 62% are fathers, who are in desperate need of support, accommodation and often, legal advice.

After discovering that very little had been done to reach and support this demographic, BBH’s Barn students Aishah and Marlon developed an awareness campaign specifically targeting dads experiencing homelessness. With Fathers Day just around the corner, usually a day when dads are showered with love from their families, Aishah and Marlin wanted to shine a light on those that are not so lucky, while getting a message out about the support that is available to those that need it.

Working alongside the team at Dads House, and with help from designer Martin Reed, the Barn team subverted Father's Day cliches to design a range of cards which will be distributed on the eve of Fathers Day to food kitchens in London and other areas where homeless people are known to seek refuge.

The cards will also be distributed as an insert within the Big Issue magazine, with a goal to encourage awareness of Dad’s House charity and the services it offers. Dads House is a London based charity, founded by William McGranaghan, whose mission is to help dads be dads. Dads House is currently the only charity in London specifically helping fathers get on their feet again by offering legal advice, counselling and accommodation support.

Creatives Aishah and Marlon said: “We wanted to capitalise on Father's day and use the cards as a medium to talk to dads who need support. Being at BBH as part of The Barn has given us a chance to work on live projects and good causes that not many people are aware of, like Dad’s House, and we are incredibly proud that we’ve been able to shine a light on such an important issue.”

Tony Culligham, course leader, The Barn said: “The team wanted to create a conversation around the community of homeless fathers. What better way to do it than devising the first Father's Day cards for them. Even if one father reaches out to Dads House for support we'll be delighted.”

The Barn is part of BBH's ongoing commitment to finding and supporting the next generation of creative talent in the UK and opening up the advertising industry (and client briefs) to more diverse voices and experiences.