UNHCR campaign: wrapping paper for refugees, not presents

The UN Refugee Agency for the United Kingdom (UNHCR) has launched a print campaign inspired by refugees’ stories that can be used as wrapping paper to raise awareness and donations.

The campaign, called “Wrapped In Kindness”, ran across national and regional newspapers this week to raise awareness of refugees struggling to keep warm this winter, particularly as the rest of the UK gears up to use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper across November and December to wrap gifts for loved ones.

The activation ran double-page spreads in select national newspapers and full-page spreads in regional titles that readers could then use for wrapping presents this Christmas.

Double-page spreads appeared in The i and Herald on 11 December and The Guardian on 13 December and full pages were also booked across 39 regional titles, which could then be recycled into wrapping paper.

“This winter, help wrap someone in kindness and warmth” read the strapline of the campaign.

On the campaign website, people can download wrapping paper for gift wrap, desktop backgrounds or mobile backgrounds designed by authors, artists and designers.

All the wrapping paper patterns (one example pictured above) are inspired by refugees’ stories or by former refugees themselves with links to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Afghanistan as well as donate to the cause. 

The media was planned and negotiated by John Ayling & Associates.