Humanise - Bland Castles
Taking a conversation about buildings to people who don’t think about buildings.
Thomas Heatherwick’s Humanise campaign had spent two years making the case for more human architecture – with a best selling book, TED talks and university partnerships. But were ‘normal’ people connecting? Did they understand what a ‘more joyful’ building is? Humanise needed an attention-grabbing idea to travel the world and invite everyone into the conversation.
Conversations about buildings and planning and ‘facades’ can get hopelessly locked into industry speak – but do people really care? Do they know what they even think about buildings when they spend so much of their time not considering them?
Our idea was to take the conversation to the public in an intervention that could happen in real life, where real people spend time, during the summer. We considered lots of possibilities - flowers, chalk, bouncy castles and even speakers – but landed on the one thing we all do in the summer, that connects us to the idea of buildings: Sand. And so ‘Bland Castles’ was born.
Everything around the concept needed design – the design of the activation itself, the design of the sculptures, the event setting, the deckchairs, the flags, the print and even a bespoke ‘bland brand’ for Bland Castles.
This needed to feel like a light hearted protest with it’s very own corporate and cold branding – much like the sort you see being thrust upon our own towns and cities. Complete with ‘hoardings’ (wind breaks), a catalogue, campaign posters, and branded ‘banners’ (flags).
On ‘Bland Castles Day’ in Morecambe, we literally got our hands dirty – working with the fantastic Sand In Your Eye to build 16 very real, very heavy, two metre tall tower blocks of sand. Once completed, we invited passers by to come and have a look and speak to us about why we were there.
Digital activation took visitors to a site where they could find out more, and press as far and wide as Brazil and Hungary reported on the activation too.
“The concept was brilliant and then the execution delivered the quality that we wanted”
Abigail Scott Paul. Global Head of the Humanise Campaign.“ It was brilliant having you on the team and being able to really immerse yourself in some of the challenges ... ”
“ we've got in trying to communicate the issue of bland, boring buildings. And I think what you were able to ... ”
“ do was really use the insight we had around how the public engages with the issue but were able to ... ”
“ come up with a really simple, creative idea to try and convey our message. You know, the concept and ... ”
“ the idea was brilliant, and then the execution delivered the quality output that we wanted. ”
