Never Settle for Survival

At a time when global funding for aid is under increasing pressure, one of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations, Mercy Corps, launched a new brand identity and campaign that raises expectations about what aid can achieve. The organization has become PROSPER GLOBAL and is kicking off a multi-channel awareness campaign led by
M+C Saatchi North America to introduce the new brand and challenge Americans to think differently about humanitarian aid.

"NEVER SETTLE FOR SURVIVAL" is a creative campaign that captures an audaciously optimistic belief: barely enough is not enough for anyone, and that meeting urgent survival needs should be the floor, not the ceiling, of ambition for humanitarian aid. The campaign launched with a :30 hero spot that captures the spirit and ingenuity of people around the world who believe we can do more when we refuse to settle for barely enough. It features the dynamic, resilient faces and environments of people who are building what’s next for their communities despite challenges like conflict, climate change fallout and economic hardship. See launch spot here.

The campaign is supported by an integrated approach including digital ads, social content, out-of-home, and creators whose work spans sustainability, innovation, health, culture, and community-building activating across social channels. Rather than speak on behalf of communities, the campaign puts stories and perspectives at the center. Work was performed across the M+C Saatchi North America network, including SS+K, Consulting, and Performance.

"Humanitarian organizations understandably spend a lot of time communicating urgency and need. With ‘Never Settle for Survival,’ we wanted to start somewhere different: with people’s ambition,” said Giselle Benetar, Vice President of Marketing, Prosper Global. “‘Never Settle for Survival’ looks beyond the crisis and focuses on what people and communities are already building, rather than defining them by the crises they face. It invites people who share our belief that barely enough is not enough for anyone to join us in building a future where people everywhere can prosper and no one is left behind.”

"Prosper Global is a rare organization that dares to take on the status quo at a time when the world's biggest problems are only growing,” said Kevin Skobac, Managing Director, Strategy, SS+K. “‘Never Settle for Survival' captures the spirit and ambition of people around the world taking charge of their own stories.”

The “Never Settle” campaign also launches alongside new research from Prosper Global’s Voices of Prosperity Initiative, which asked over 1,100 community members in six countries where Prosper Global works what it means to prosper. In five of six countries surveyed, fewer than 10 percent of people associated prosperity with material wealth. Instead, they talked about safety, community, and the ability to imagine and plan for a future—educating their children, growing a business, making choices about what comes next.