Give The [Gif]t: Simon Landrein, Diana Ejaita and Marco Oggian join animated e-card campaign

UK-based agency Pocko and Japanese agency Monopo have teamed up to create an animated advent calendar of sorts, pairing 13 of Pocko’s artists with charities such as Unicef and Calm to create animated e-cards. Running mainly on the social channels of both agencies and all partner charities, the Give The [Gif]t campaign encourages shoppers towards a less consumerist Christmas this year, rewarding donations with an animated card created by the likes of Simon Landrein, Diana Ejaita, Marco Oggian and more.

The images range in tone from sweet to empowering and meditative, and discipline too, from hand-drawn illustration to papercut and 3D motion design. Simon Landrein’s card for Migrants Organise shows a character stretching his stilts to kiss a partner on the other side of a wall. Diana Ejaita’s piece is for Savvy Contemporary, in support of the Internally Displaced People of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon. Marco Oggian’s artwork highlights the issue of modern slavery, advocating for charity Unseen. Nomoco’s beautifully subtle depiction of a group of women is for the Abortion Support Network.

Joni Majer says she wanted to support ActionAid “because they give women in need a perspective. Their help enables women and girls to stand up for themselves. ActionAid helps women to see a future they created themselves, and choose their own path ahead”. Andrea Chronopoulos adds that if there’s one thing we can learn from 2020 it’s “how important it is to take action as a collective group. Even a small contribution by each one of us can mean a lot in the end”.

Mute Studio’s piece is for AKT, which supports LGBTQ+ young people aged 16-25 in the UK who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment. “The pandemic has exaggerated many pre-existing social issues across the country, including anyone struggling to keep a roof over their heads or having a safe place to call home,” says the studio’s George Shelbourne. “We wanted to create a short, hopeful looping animation that shows unity. Not just within the LGBTQ+ community, but across the country. We truly are better and more supported together.”

Via the dedicated Give The [Gif]t web page you can donate directly to each charity or gift a donation to a loved one. The project is the first of the Kado Project, a new partnership between Pocko Social, the agency’s nonprofit arm, and Monopo together with freelance creative producer Asako Tomotani. “There is still an immense amount of work that has to be done in order to make this world a safe space for every person to live,” Tomotani says. “But the work is not easy and sometimes overwhelming with all the causes we care for but not certain how/where to support. That is why I wanted to create a system that supports and encourages people to take advantage of this time of the year to show support, by gifting something truly meaningful to our loved ones.”

Give The [Gif]t runs until Christmas Day.