Using our creative marketing skillset to support a local homeless charity

Trigger warning: The video references painful events which contributed to emotional trauma. 

At Torpedo, we’re always looking for opportunities to make a difference beyond our day-to-day work with our clients. As firm believers in the power of storytelling – not just for brands but also for the people who live in and shape our communities – we couldn’t resist a recent opportunity that came up… 

It started with a conversation with a friend of mine who works for a charity, Homeless Oxfordshire. She asked if Torpedo could make a small animation that would raise awareness and help with fundraising.  

It was a simple request, but it sparked something much greater within our Motion Team. It gave us an opportunity to put our passion for storytelling to work in a way that was both deeply personal and profoundly impactful. 

Torpedo has always supported charities, donating both our time and money. In fact this year, we are supporting the Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity. But we saw this project with Homeless Oxfordshire as something equally important.

I took the request to our Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

I proposed that we took on the project – pro-bono. The idea was met with unanimous support. We all recognised that this was an opportunity to use our skills for a cause that could make a real difference in our local Oxfordshire community. 

The initial brief was to create a short, straightforward animation to highlight the issue of homelessness in Oxfordshire. But as we delved deeper into the project, we realised that we had the opportunity to tell a much more compelling story, one that would touch people on a human level, and hopefully inspire real change and awareness. 

The project soon took on a life of its own.

We decided to document the journey of a single homeless person, Carli, capturing her experiences, challenges, and hopes – in her own words. This decision marked the beginning of a year-long journey for our team. We worked on the project during any company downtime and in our own personal time too. 

Our team spent an afternoon recording Carli’s story, ensuring it was done in a respectful and personal way. The interview was intense and deeply emotional. We understood the trust and bravery it was taking for Carli to tell us her story. 

We wanted the animation to be more than just a visual piece – we wanted it to be a voice to the human side of homelessness and that terrible, but sometimes heart-warming, journey. 

Creating the animation was no small feat.

It required a lot of time, from the initial sketches to the final rendering. The Torpedo team worked with a passion to ensure that the animation not only told Carli’s story accurately but also conveyed the depth of emotion and humanity behind it. Every frame was created with care, every scene designed to draw the viewer into the world of someone who had faced unimaginable hardships. 

After nearly a year of hard work, the animation was finally complete. It was a labour of love, and the result is a powerful piece that hopefully resonates with everyone who watches it. We hope Carli’s story will raise greater awareness of Homelessness Oxfordshire and help to secure more crucial funding for the charity. 

It’s had a lasting impact on our team.

Working on this project reminded us of why we do what we do – because storytelling has the power to change lives.

It reminded us that our skills as marketers, motion designers, and storytellers can be used for more than just business. They can be used to give back, to uplift, and to make a difference. We are proud of this work and even prouder of the positive impact it will have.

Torpedo remains committed to finding ways to give back to our communities. Using our storytelling skills to create positive change is just one of the ways we do this. We’re excited to see what opportunity comes up next.