Following weeks of social posts and questions from the industry regarding the logistics of delivering JCDecaux’s famous Christmas hams around the country, the Out-of-Home company today announced a partnership with OzHarvest while ‘Ham Day’ pauses in the COVID-19 landscape of 2020.
JCDecaux is renowned for its annual tradition, affectionately known as ‘Ham Day’ – a day that is well regarded in the industry as a signal that the end of year is rapidly approaching, and a time for the company to connect with advertisers and partners to celebrate the year that was. But 2020 was a year like no other.
JCDecaux, General Manager – Sales, Oliver Newton, said: “We have been through several different versions of lockdown and a reduced capacity to see our colleagues and clients, so we have been placing an even higher value on the face time that we do get to enjoy together – and Ham Day would normally have been one of those times. Unfortunately, in 2020, the logistics of safely delivering hams to clients across the country will not be possible, so we have decided to turn this into a positive and support people in our community who need it the most.”
Instead of its traditional ham deliveries this year, JCDecaux will be making a significant contribution to OzHarvest, Australia’s leading food rescue organisation.
OzHarvest Head of Impact, Ashley Killeen, said: “2020 has been an incredibly tough year for many Australians, with so many new people turning to charities for the first time in their lives. This year has seen a dramatic rise in demand for food relief, at a time when our resources are under pressure. Thanks to this contribution from JCDecaux we can continue to get good food to those who need it most.”
This contribution forms part of an ongoing partnership between the two organisations, developed by JCDecaux’s renewed commitment to charity and the creation of the Social Impact Committee. The Social Impact Committee is a panel of individuals from a range of disciplines within JCDecaux in Australia and New Zealand.
JCDecaux Director of Government and Public Relations, Tess Phillips, said: “The purpose of the Social Impact Committee is to streamline the way in which we work with our charity partners, ensuring that we support charities with meaningful opportunities. This goes beyond standard advertising display, although that still forms a part, and engages JCDecaux employees at all levels to help contribute towards making a difference in people’s lives. Our staff recently told us that making a positive change in the community is important to them, so we are excited to roll out a series of initiatives over the coming months to support these company values.”
Recognising the special place that ‘Ham Day’ occupies in the calendar, JCDecaux commissioned local Melbourne artist Alison Turnbull to create a piece of artwork for the Christmas cards announcing the changes to Ham Day and its donation to OzHarvest.
