JYSK wins a new CSR Award

JYSK Romania was one of the winners of the Romanian CSR Awards 2020 Gala. The company received the second prize in the CSR Campaigns on Social Media category, for the “I Need You” campaign, developed together with Hope and Homes for Children Romania. 

Considering the current situation, this time the gala did not take place in the elegant decor of Ghica Tei Palace in Bucharest. Everything happened online instead. Over 100 representatives of big companies and non-profit organizations connected online to see who the winners will be this year. For most of the participants, it was the first occasion in months to wear an elegant outfit.  

MUSIC THAT SENDS A MESSAGE

This time last year, on the occasion of the International Childrens Day, JYSK Romania officially released the „I Need You” music video and, with it, the fundraising campaign with the same name. The purpose of the campaign was to help institutionalized children have a better life. 

Alex Bratu, Country Manager JYSK Romania and Bulgaria, had the idea of using music in order to present the difficult situation of institutionalised children. He composed the music and lyrics of the song and, when it was ready, he convinced 10 Romanian artists to participate in the project. They reunited under the name Friends of Hope and Homes and they became the voice of all orphaned children who are longing for a normal childhood.

“We wanted to do a different fundraising campaign. Music is the best way to transmit emotions. It brings us joy, it relaxes us, it can make us nostalgic or it makes us dream. And, as we saw now, it can also convince us to help the ones in need. I am happy that the message  of the song reached so many people and convinced them to make a donation for orphaned children. We are proud that this campaign was among the winners of the only Romanian CSR gala, making it one of the best CSR campaigns of 2019”, said Alex Bratu. 

over 1 million views on youtube

For one month, the “I Need You” (“Am nevoie de tine”) song was included in the national radio playlist. The video was broadcast by music television channels. JYSK and Hope and Homes representatives were invited to TV and radio talk shows, and the music video reached over 1 million views on Youtube. 

When the campaign ended, the number of recurring donors of Hope and Homes for Children had doubled.

“When we have a CSR campaign in JYSK, we are always involved at a personal level. Many of our colleagues want to help and support the changes for better that our society needs. We participate as volunteers when we plant a forest, we run for a good cause, we are close to the vulnerable children. Alex Bratu is no exception. He is an example of community involvement for all of us. He succeeded in convincing ten artists to join the project and send the message that orphaned children want to send: We need you”, says Iraida Paiuc, Sales and Marketing Manager JYSK România și Bulgaria.  

Iraida thinks that, most of all, the audience was convinced because the message was so sincere.

“I really liked the contrast between the artists’ voices; it felt like a wake-up call to the cruel reality than many of us do not want to see. I also think we made a very good decision to start the campaign on the International Children’s Day. Many radio stations broadcasted the song and invited Alex and Robert from HHC in their studio, to talk about the song and about the HHC projects that JYSK is supporting. I am happy that many colleagues shared the song online and decided to become recurring donors for this cause”, says Iraida Paiuc.

CLOSING DOWN OLD TYPE INSTITUTIONS

JYSK is a strategic partner of Hope and Homes for Children Romania since 2017. During the first two years of partnership, the company donated furniture for 10 small group homes, in which 120 children are now living. 

"What are these numbers actually mean? It means 120 destinies that were changed, 120 lives that are now on a better path", says Robert Ion, Director of Fundraising Hope and Homes for Children Romania, He points out the fact that the campaign also succeeded in making people interested in the lives of institutionalized children. 

"By using music, we wanted to send a clear message: A childhood lived in an orphanage is not a real childhood. Over 1 million people saw the video on Youtube and thousands donated by phone. And again, what do these numbers mean? It means that we all chose to see for the first time, or maybe to have a closer look, at how the invisible children of Romania are living. We are extremely grateful to all those who made this campaign possible, They understood that these children need us: <<To be loved, to feel your heart blooming / To be able to receive help when everything around you is empty>>", says Robert Ion.