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2019 One Show - Social Media

Sleeping Flags

Agency Rothco | Accenture Interactive / Dublin + Antidote / Dublin + Raygun / Dublin

Client O.N.E.
BACK TO RESULTS

Annual ID

OS_SM19060M

About the Work

Irish veterans risk everything to serve the flag, but it doesn’t always serve them. Despite decades of distinguished service many are left homeless. To drive awareness and raise essential funds, O.N.E. (a homeless veterans’ charity) contravened all protocols around the treatment of the Irish flag, and turned this symbol of national pride into a symbol of homelessness - the sleeping bag. If Ireland’s veterans were lying in the gutter, then so too would the flag they serve. Equipped with these “Sleeping Flags”, veterans slept in the shadows of historically significant locations. This silent protest - and accompanying appeal - sparked a passionate debate across social media, national news and the Irish parliament; forcing people to consider what’s more important - the flag, or those who serve it. The campaign led to an unprecedented 4,560% increase in donations, including the gift of a building from the government to expand O.N.E’s services.