KidsCan has appointed The Monkeys Aotearoa, part of Accenture Song, as its creative and strategic agency of record.

KidsCan and The Monkeys have launched back-to-back campaigns to begin 2023.

KidsCan’s annual Back to School appeal was set against the soaring cost of living fuelling an education crisis for New Zealand children living in poverty. KidsCan CEO and founder, Julie Chapman, says: “We help feed 50,000 school children every day, and sadly demand is only growing, with thousands more on our waitlist for support.”

The ‘It’s hard to learn when you’re hungry’ campaign used visual and audio techniques to highlight how hunger can disrupt a child’s learning, based on verbatim comments from children in hardship about their own feelings of hunger.

In response to Cyclone Gabrielle, an urgent crisis appeal was also launched to help KidsCan schools and early childhood centres in Northland, Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti, who desperately need clothing and food supplies as their tamariki begin returning to school.

The national awareness campaign, $15 for Floods includes broadcast television, out of home advertising, print, social, radio and digital executions using donated media from suppliers. The campaign has raised over $1.4m to date.

Commenting on the new appointment, Chapman says: “We know The Monkeys team cares deeply about our cause and they’re already playing a huge role in helping us raise the funds we need, to help thousands of tamariki living in poverty. The Monkeys bring world-class strategy together with incredible creative firepower (we love Damon, James and Christie!), to deliver results for us every time. We’re incredibly thankful to have the support of The Monkeys and Accenture NZ.”

The Monkeys CEO and Accenture Song NZ Lead, Justin Mowday, says: “KidsCan believes education is a child’s pathway out of poverty, providing the basics of food, shoes, jackets and health products to over 50,000 Kiwi kids every day, so they can get to school and learn.

“It’s a travesty that we need a charity like KidsCan in Aotearoa, but unfortunately we do. Julie and the team put their hands up to help every time, be it a natural disaster that requires an urgent response or the ongoing needs of tamariki every day. I’m proud to see The Monkeys and Accenture get behind KidsCan to play a small part in making Aotearoa better for all Kiwi kids.”

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