Description
Major outdoor advertising sites across the UK, including the Piccadilly Lights, are being given over to recognise Holocaust Memorial Day today, which marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the biggest Nazi death camp.
In a striking campaign by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust (HMDT) and its agency partner, St Luke’s, the focus for 2025 is “Remembering the past for a better future.” The creative idea is based around a simple photograph of a real-life grandfather and granddaughter, whose hands come together to cradle a candle which – as well as being HMDT’s symbol – provides a universal emblem of peace and remembrance.
The campaign was inspired by the knowledge that the 80th anniversary is likely to be the last milestone year where Auschwitz survivors are able to share their testimonies first-hand. As a result, the need for younger generations to keep their memories alive is more important than ever. It was shot by renowned portrait photographer James Day, who provided his services pro bono. Ocean Outdoor and JCDecaux worked in partnership with HMDT to ensure widespread coverage across their OOH spaces.
Holocaust Memorial Day remembers the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust along with the millions of people killed under Nazi persecution of other groups, and the lives lost during more recent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur, and the Yazidi genocide.
The event will take on an added momentum this year, with the BBC broadcasting the annual Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony on television for the first time since 2020. There will also be a wide range of programming across BBC TV, radio and online, as well as full coverage of the Auschwitz Ceremony from Poland, and commemorative events taking place across the UK.
At 8pm, the UK is invited to join the annual “Light the Darkness” moment. As well as lighting up famous buildings and landmarks around the country in purple, the campaign invites the country to light candles in their windows as a way to remember the dead and to stand against prejudice and hatred today. The HDMT recognises not only the Holocaust but also Nazi persecution of other groups and the more recent genocides recognised by the UK government as well as the genocide in Darfur.
St Luke’s creative will be seen across hundreds of digital OOH sites nationwide, including the iconic Piccadilly Lights. While it is a simple image, it will be a striking contrast to the usual bright lights by showing a single, flickering flame surrounded by darkness.
There are two versions of the digital poster, both of which show the same image. Starting at 10am and running throughout the day, audiences will see the message “Light the Darkness at 8pm and join us in a national moment of remembrance.” After 8pm, the message will change to say “Help us Light the Darkness. Learn more at hmd.org.uk”.
This professional campaign titled 'Holocaust Memorial Day' was published in United Kingdom in January, 2025. It was created for the brand: HMDT, by ad agency: St Luke’s. This OOH Outdoor medium campaign is related to the Public Interest industry and contains 4 media assets. It was submitted 5 months ago.
