Brandson x Tramontana x Nochlezhka Charity Campaign

Starting on 17 July and for a period of 3 months, the outdoor equipment store “Tramontana” ran the charity campaign “For Some, Survival Is Not a Choice”. As part of the campaign, 1% of the value of all goods purchased in the store was donated to the operation of the “Night Shelter” run by the charity organisation “Nochlezhka” — Russia’s oldest non-governmental organisation helping homeless people — where up to 40 people can spend the night in warmth and safety all year round.

The Brandson Branding Agency (Total Identity Group) team worked on the concept and visual design of the campaign. A series of associative illustrations, hand-drawn by the agency’s designers, draws parallels between travellers and people without a home. “The idea of the campaign “For Some, Survival Is Not a Choice” was born from comparing life on the streets of a big city with the struggle against the forces of nature. In both cases the same methods and pieces of equipment can help, but while hikers do it to test their own strength, challenging themselves time and again, for a homeless person survival in extreme conditions is not a choice but a terrible necessity. By drawing a visual parallel, we emphasise the deep contradiction that lies between the two situations”, — comments Denis Fomin, Creative Strategist at Brandson. To connect the illustrations created by the agency with “reality”, a special photo shoot was organised. The resulting photographs captured scenes from the lives of people who had lost their homes. Sketches from the everyday life of outdoor enthusiasts were overlaid on them. Visually these images are similar, but there is a huge gulf between them, which becomes clearly apparent on closer examination of each combined image. “In July, Nochlezhka launched a new project to help homeless people — the Night Shelter. It is a modular building where every day, at any time of year, 40 people can spend the night, wash and do their laundry free of charge. On the scale of the city this is a small number, but on the scale of the life of a homeless person, which comes down to survival, this project will certainly be useful. We have calculated that one person’s overnight stay at the Night Shelter will cost us 229 roubles. We are very grateful to Tramontana for taking part in this important campaign and for our long-standing partnership. I would also like to thank the Brandson agency separately. It was thanks to their efforts that the concept and visual design of this campaign came into being”, — Natalia Kravchenko, Business Partnerships Coordinator at the Nochlezhka charity organisation. “The new project by “Tramontana”, “Nochlezhka” and Brandson is simple and clear, like everything good. In July, August and September, by buying any item at Tramontana you will help someone who, by a twist of fate, has ended up on the street”, — commented Roman Semenov, Development Director at “Tramontana”, at the launch of the campaign.