Kids Under Cover 09 Annual Report rationale
By Chris Billson and Gus Beeforth in consultation
with David Neilson - Charles Elena Design
The concept that we have decided on for our Kids Under Cover Annual Report was that of sand castles. In reaching the final decision of this, many concepts were tossed up along the way. However, none of these concepts, while being strong in there own right, had the individuality or the power of this idea. Not only did it allow us to be hard hitting and honest, it also allowed us to put a human face on Kids Under Cover, and to tell a story. Without pulling on the heart strings of the reader, the charity remains unnoticed. If the reader of the annual report is not touched by the emotion evoked, then what reason do they have to open up there wallets?
This is where our design comes in to play. We were advised that the report, in particular the cover, must be hard hitting. The figure we were given was 70%. This said, the cover had to be hard hitting, but not focusing on homelessness. As mentioned, we simply had to have a human element on the front. This presented the challenge of putting a person on the front, without making them homeless, being hard hitting, and touching people in the way that compelled them to help. Then, above all that I’ve already listed, the one thing to shine through was hope.
The reason that our concept of sand castles works so well in all these categories is that it is so conceptual. The girl sitting on the front is not homeless, yet she looks distressed, in need of a helping hand. The sand is a subtle juxtaposition of the distressed figure, as most people associate the sand with relaxation, and the combination will only engage the reader further, and pique their interest. There will be no way they won’t be able to pick this up, if not through emotion, then through curiosity. The built sand castle represents the normal life she once had, the crushed sand castles represent her shattered dreams. However that’s the thing about sand castles, they can be rebuilt easily. All you need is the right tools. The vulnerability of the sand castles represents how fragile a young person is at that stage in life, and how easy it is to destroy it. But in the same sense, that life can also be reconstructed. A person in need can create a sand castle with their bare hands, however it's a lot easier with the tools of the trade. With the bucket represented by Kids Under Cover, the spade representing the Community Service Organisation, and the finished sand castle representing the bungalow, the community, the child’s life and their dreams. It will mean something different to every single person that picks it up with only their imagination limiting the possibilities.
The hope is flowed through the document in the form of photographs. A whole montage of images is not needed to convey our message, but just a hand full of pictures can tell more than a thousand words. The spread in the centre which I’ve taken full advantage of is used to show the half point in our person's life. This is the step, where with the help of KUC and the CSO, she is slowly rebuilding her life. Then skip to the back cover, where she has erased all her broken dreams and ambitions, and she is left with one single goal. With that in mind she is moving on, leaving the bungalow intact, ready to be relocated and used to help save another dream, and maybe, another life.
In conclusion, to create a hard hitting document, that didn’t dwell on homelessness, yet still played on the emotions of philanthropists around the country, was no easy feat. Yet through the creative and conceptual idea of sand castles, we were able to address all these issues. We have designed a document that will create visual interest, evoke the much needed emotion, and hopefully continue to aid Kids Under Cover helping at risk people around Australia.
