One Up

The Salvation Army reframes what it means to donate in a powerful new film directed by Marek Partyš, produced by Spark & Riot and developed by Creative Agency BarkleyOKRP. Blending gentle humor and grounded drama, the campaign sheds light on the organization’s Adult Rehabilitation Centers through a story that builds to a touching emotional payoff.

The film opens in a quiet suburb where two neighbors, Bill and Peter, are locked in a friendly competition to see who can donate more to their local Salvation Army store. What feels lighthearted at first shifts unexpectedly when the men overhear a heated exchange next door. A father’s drinking has reached its breaking point, and his wife and daughter decide to leave. In a turn away from competition and toward compassion, Bill and Peter approach their neighbor together and urge him to seek help at the Salvation Army’s Adult Rehabilitation Center. The film closes on a tender reunion as the man returns home sober, stepping back into his family’s life with humility and hope.

Shot with restraint and naturalistic performances, the film draws viewers in with light humor before grounding them with raw drama and emotional stakes. By connecting the act of donating to the lives it changes, the campaign offers a moving reminder that small gestures can lead to life-altering outcomes.

Marek Partys, Director: “For me, this project was an opportunity to show how even ordinary, humorous neighborly rivalry can turn into something much deeper in a matter of seconds. I enjoy working with the moment when the viewer is laughing—and suddenly the smile stops because real life appears beneath the lightheartedness. This twist is the essence of the entire commercial: to remind us that behind every house, behind every closed door, there may be a story we cannot see. And that sometimes it's enough to just slow down for a moment, look around, and realize what's really important.”