One person's waste is another's treasure.
In partnership with Action on Addiction, Leo Burnett London is putting that little chestnut to work with "The Dry/Clean Initiative," a program that helps recovering addicts dress for job interviews, using clothing that was never picked up from the dry cleaners.
The case study tells us 15 percent of dry cleaning is never claimed (per the Columbus Dispatch). We also learn the story of Debbie, the first Dry/Clean Initiative benefactee.
Debbie started on her road to addiction as early as 10 years old, to deal with an unstable environment at home. "The drink and the drugs had always come first, and that made it impossible to find work. It took me years to even realise that I was an addict," she says.
Today she is dry ... and clean. (This pun suffers under the weight of knowing that those two words basically mean the same thing in the context of sobriety, but we suppose it was too good to pass up.)
"I just need someone to give me a chance," Debbie adds.
There are many reasons to like this campaign. It transforms perfectly good forgotten clothing into opportunities, and lends hope to people on the road to a more stable future. It's also a reminder of what creative minds in advertising can achieve when set to helping a charity do more than make cold calls. It reminds us that we're part of a continuum, one in which the ad industry can be a force for good (and not just brand lift for candy bars).
But what we have to say about it is less meaningful than what Debbie's walked away with.
"Putting on that suit instantly changes the way you feel," she says at the video's end. "You have more confidence. An interview is all about first impressions. I can walk into that room, head held high, and make sure I get that job."
CREDITS
Client: Action on Addiction
Agency: Leo Burnett London
Creative Director: Darren Keff, Phillip Meyler, Adam Tucker
Art Director: Laura Clark
Copywriter: Elliott Starr
Graphic Designer: Stathi Kougianos
Account Director: Alex Fenton, Vienna Hartley
Agency Producer: Nick Haley
Photographer: David Lidbetter
Director/Production Co: Nick Haley
Producer: Nick Haley
Editor: Nick Haley
Post Production: Nick Haley, Prodigious
Sound Design: Nick Haley, Prodigious
DoP: Chris DuMont