Shelter has today launched a major new film as part of a nationwide multi-channel campaign celebrating the legacy, influence and future of social housing.
Featuring some of the country’s most iconic names, including Adele, Paul McCartney, Dave, Jacqueline Wilson, Oasis’ Liam and Noel Gallagher, Chloe Kelly, Sir Geoff Hurst and more, alongside real-life heroes, the film showcases the generations of talent, creativity and community shaped by social housing.
Created by Shelter’s in-house team, with media planning and buying handled by Beyond, the campaign arrives as homelessness in England has reached record breaking levels in recent years, with many more people in urgent need of a genuinely affordable social home.
Shelter campaign
Through the creative concept ‘Foundation to Thrive’, Shelter is showcasing the achievements, big and small, that have been made possible by the legacy of social housing, much of it built by councils that understood the needs of their communities.
Through celebrating the impact of social housing on culture and everyday life, the campaign makes the case for a new generation of social homes, urging the government to remove the barriers stopping councils from building them. Using their local knowledge and community connections, councils are best placed to deliver social homes that serve both local people and future generations.
As part of the launch, Beyond has delivered a digital-first strategy across Meta, Reddit and YouTube to distribute the campaign film (below), to share the epic compilation of people and moments that have flourished thanks to social housing.
This is supported by a strong local media presence across London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds, combining high-impact physical media including full-page press placements and prominent OOH[AD1] at London Waterloo with geo-targeted audio and social activity, ensuring the issue feels both urgent and locally relevant to communities across the country.
Leanne Ainsworth, Head of Creative and Production at Shelter, said: “Our campaign is a powerful celebration of people who were born or raised in social housing, bringing together treasured cultural icons and everyday heroes. It highlights the extraordinary foundation social homes provide, and why we need to build more for future generations.
“Look around and you’ll find someone remarkable who started out there – from your local primary school teacher, through to Adele and Dave…the impact speaks for itself.
“I’m incredibly proud of this campaign and the team behind it. Having grown up in social housing myself, I understand first-hand how important this kind of representation is.
“The film will be supported by an OOH campaign highlighting the success and sense of community that thrive in areas where social housing plays a central role.”
Ed Cox, Partner, Media, Data + Effectiveness at Beyond, added: “This campaign marks our first major launch since being reappointed as Shelter’s media partner, and the timing could not be more critical. The housing emergency is a systemic challenge that requires bold, high-visibility solutions.
“It has been brilliant to partner so closely with Shelter’s talented in-house creative team; that collaborative spirit allowed us to build a media strategy that perfectly amplifies the ‘Foundation to Thrive’ vision, ensuring this vital message lands with precision both nationally and within local communities.”
The campaign will be live across all platforms from 5th until 28th May.