Ten locations around Gothenburg, Sweden, where the city's homeless might sleep are presented as "hotel rooms" in this campaign by ad agency Forsman & Bodenfors. Folks can "book" the sites, which are dilapidated, dangerous and/or exposed to the elements, for $10 a night. The funds support the efforts of local street newspaper, Faktum, which works to help the socially vulnerable and disenfranchised. "Feel the city's pulse from dawn to dusk at Gullbergsvass," begins the description of a claustrophobic concrete slab-shelf near a busy roadway. "This delightful dwelling is just a stroll from the romantic Dreamer's Quay: a source of inspiration to musicians and artists alike." Also available: grassy mounds in various parks; a rotting paper mill where the wheels no longer turn; and a dusty, beer-splashed space beneath the bleachers of a sports stadium. The places are shown with all the "amenities," such as sleeping bags, filthy mattresses and carts laden with scavenged detritus from around town. At first, I found it odd that no homeless people appear in the work. Of course, normal hotel advertising rarely shows guests, so in that respect, having the "rooms" empty suits the theme. It also reinforces the desolate and unsettling nature of these places, and gives the understated images extra resonance and meaning. The lack of occupants makes it easier for us to put ourselves in the picture, and to imagine what the night might be like if we checked into such forbidding accommodations in real life. More images, a case-study video and credits after the jump.
CREDITS
Client: Faktum, Åse Henell
Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors
Account Manager: Åsa Pedersen
Art Directors: Staffan Lamm, Staffan Forsman
Copywriter: Martin Ringqvist
Web Producer: Stefan Thomson
Designer: Christoffer Persson
Production Company: Thomson Interactive Media
Photographer: Håkan Ludwigson