Which people, places and experiences have made us who we are today? This question forms the foundation of London Youth’s new campaign, What Made You, Makes London’s Youth, which invites adults to reflect on the support they received growing up and consider how much similar opportunities mean to today’s younger generations. Rather than building its communication around funding shortages and the challenges facing youth organisations, the campaign focuses on the lasting impact their work has on young people’s lives.
This approach was developed by independent creative agency Chello, which brought together its teams in Sydney and its recently opened London office for the project. The creative strategy is based on the idea that pride in one’s upbringing and the people who shaped us can be a stronger motivation for support than guilt. The campaign therefore seeks to establish a personal connection between the audience’s experiences and the need for young people today to have access to safe spaces, activities and people they can trust.
At the centre of the commercial is Martins Imhangbe, an actor known for his role in Bridgerton, who himself benefited from a youth club while growing up in Southeast London. His personal experience creates an additional connection between the campaign’s message and the organisation he represents. Addressing the camera directly through a spoken-word performance, Imhangbe delivers his message from Caius House, a member club of the London Youth network. The commercial was shot using a handheld camera, with young people who actually use the space appearing alongside him.
The campaign comes at a time when London’s youth sector is facing significant challenges. According to figures cited alongside the campaign, one in three young people in the British capital lives in poverty, while funding for youth services remains below the level it was a decade ago. London Youth, an organisation supporting a network of approximately 600 youth clubs, aims to raise awareness of their role and secure additional financial support through this initiative.
The campaign runs from 2 to 8 November, during the UK’s Youth Work Week, with the support of corporate partner Rathbones Group Foundation.
Production was handled by British studio Wild, whose co-founder Dan Symons led the shoot alongside Chello’s Design Director, Alexandra Wylde. The agency’s London and Australian teams collaborated on strategy, creative development, post-production and campaign execution.
Tristan Velasco, Executive Creative Director and Co-Founder of Chello, emphasised that the project demonstrates why the agency decided to open an office in London. Having a presence in the local market allowed the team to better understand the people, environment and nuances of the story, while the Sydney office continued to provide support across strategy and production. Collaboration with Wild was further facilitated by his longstanding relationship with Dan Symons, which dates back to their school days.
From London Youth’s perspective, an important part of the collaboration was understanding the organisation’s identity and how it wants to communicate with the public. Jenna Millican, Head of Corporate Partnerships, emphasised that Chello invested time in understanding the organisation’s needs, voice and distinctive characteristics, developing a campaign that authentically represents its work.
What Made You, Makes London’s Youth thus connects fundraising with an experience audiences can relate to, reminding them that the opportunities, relationships and spaces that shaped their own upbringing are just as important for the generations to come.
