World’s first homeless extras agency created by DDB & Tribal Worldwide Amsterdam
Yesterday (22nd December) De Volksbond, an Amsterdam-based organisation supporting the homeless, teamed up with creative agency DDB & Tribal Worldwide Amsterdam in setting up the world’s first 'Homeless Extras' agency.
As part of their social initiative, DDB & Tribal Worldwide Amsterdam have called upon advertising agencies and production companies across the globe to follow suit in supporting the homeless community by providing them with work opportunities.
De Volksbond is a long-standing charitable organization in Amsterdam initially set up to help drug users combat their problems. They started the first hostel for the homeless and asylum seekers in Amsterdam in 1987. DDB & Tribal Worldwide Amsterdam approached the organisation with the concept on the premise that extras do not require formal training; roles can be filled by people with varying skill set levels and backgrounds.
The concept was put to the test recently when a group of homeless men and women throughout Amsterdam gathered together to extra in a local production for AutoWeek - the biggest car platform in the Netherlands. They made 4 TVC's for this that will be on air from today. You can see the concept coming together here.
Since the partnership successfully put their idea into practice, De Volksbond will now permanently work as a casting agency for homeless people. Half of the payment from the extra jobs will go to the charity to feed back into the homeless community. The other half will go directly to the homeless person who filled the role. The partnership cites the decision to split the payment in this way in order to impact not only the individual employed, but the wider community as well.
The partnership believe that providing homeless people with these opportunities will not only raise money for the homeless community, but will also incite confidence in the homeless. In theory, it is concepts like this that encourage rehabilitation and raise funds most effectively.
Ivo Roefs, CO-CEO, DDB & Tribal Worldwide, Amsterdam, commented: “The advertising industry all over the world has a huge need of extras and, one day, we got to thinking that this could be a brilliant way to support and build confidence among people who have hit hard times. We have worked with De Volksbond in the Netherlands to bring this initiative to life and would love to see it being picked up all over the world to help people who need it most.”