Tent City, which sprang up in Martin Place in Sydney’s CBD over the past few months, has been erased. But the plight of the homeless people who tried to call it home has not.
More than 100,000 Australians sleep rough every night. The government and city council have been preoccupied with fighting who’s responsible.
So Clemenger Sydney has helped Lanz Priestley, the mayor of Tent City and founder of homeless organisation, Sydney Homeless, to raise awareness among everyday Australians about the problem with Street-Life View, an interactive website that lets people walk through Sydney’s Tent City despite its recent removal.
Street-Life View aims not only to keep housing affordability on the national agenda, but also act as a rallying cry for direct action, encouraging Australians to take the issue to their local MP and demand action.
The website uses technology similar to Google Street View, to show the real situation on the streets to the whole of Australia. Street-Life View allows people to explore Tent City without embarrassment, see homelessness first hand and meet the people who lived there, understand them and find out what they can do to help their cause.
Priestley commented, “Nothing’s going to change without the support of the community. We need to care about each other, and demand action from those who represent us. Sydney is a place where you shouldn’t have to fear for your safety, you shouldn’t have to go hungry, you shouldn’t have to live on the street.”
According to Homelessness NSW, the number of people rough sleeping in Sydney had increased by 28% since 2011. A survey in February this year found 433 people were sleeping rough just in Sydney, while crisis accommodation services were 90% full.
Ben Coulson, chief creative officer at Clemenger BBDO Sydney, commented, “Homelessness doesn’t go away when protesters are removed from sight. Street-Life View does its bit to make sure these people are not forgotten. Street Life View also gives us a new way to understand more about life on the streets, and help those people out.”
Priestley, sold his own home in eastern suburbs 20 years ago so he could give his own children, the eldest 47 years old, deposits to buy houses. He has been living on the streets in the Financial Heart of Sydney since 1991.
Credits
Agency: Clemenger BBDO Sydney
Creative Chief Officer: Ben Coulson
Head of Creative Technology: Brendan Forster
Head of Account Service: Madeleine Marsh
Account Manger: Rachel McEwen
Senior Copywriter: Josh Aitken
Junior Copywriter: Nick Alcock
Junior Art Director: Taylor Green
Creatives: Ellen Fromm – Creative
Isabella Caruso – Creative
Developers: Dale Emrose & Jay Young
Senior Designer: Ivan So
Lead Digital Producer: Claire Bisset
Photographer: Ron Woodward
Creatives: Ellen Fromm & Isabella Caruso
