Vicks has partnered with Mission Australia for its new ‘Touch of Care’ campaign in Australia, with the release of a new short film which highlights a true and moving journey of a young person who became homeless when escaping domestic violence.

The short film is part of a Vicks donation campaign where every purchase of a Vicks product at Coles will see a donation go to Mission Australia to help provide vital support and care to people experiencing homelessness in Australia.

Watch the TVC below:

The powerful short film tells the real-life story of Sarah* who fled her home as a young person to escape domestic violence, leading her to experience periods of homelessness while she was a high school student.

The care she received from a teacher helped her to turn her life around and inspired her to dedicate her life to caring for others.

Today Sarah is a Mum, and a proud case manager with Mission Australia, a community services organisation that provides support to thousands of people and families every year.

For every Vicks product purchased at Coles between April and September 2019, one donation will be made to Mission Australia.

More than 116,000 Australians are homeless on any given night, and for many like Sarah, it’s the only option when home is no longer a safe place to be.

Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness in Australia with 121,000 people who sought help from specialist homelessness services in the past year saying they had experienced domestic violence.

Mission Australia’s general manager for fundraising and marketing, Elvira Lodewick said: “Mission Australia believes that no one should have to stay in an unsafe home just to keep a roof over their head, or their family’s head.

“Yet we know that there’s thousands of Australian families, individuals, young people and children who have been pushed into homelessness because their home isn’t a safe or secure place to live.

“With the generous support of Vicks, P&G and the community, Mission Australia can continue to provide much needed assistance to people like Sarah.”

Lodewick added: “By buying any Vicks product through Coles, consumers can help Mission Australia to find a safe home for people in crisis, and offer a caring professional to walk with them on their journey to independence.”

Vicks associate brand director, Akhilesh Negi said: “At Vicks, we believe in the power of care.

“For generations, Vicks has been trusted to touch lives and provide care for millions of families around the world. We believe that everyone deserves to feel what it means to be cared for and to care for someone.

“It is for this reason that Vicks is partnering with Mission Australia as part of its ‘Touch of Care’ campaign in Australia, with the release of our new short film, created by Publicis Singapore.”

Negi added: “Vicks and P&G are proud supporters of Mission Australia and this heart-warming video aims to highlight the work that Mission Australia does every day in reducing homelessness and strengthening communities.

“It shows how a ‘touch of care’ can make a profound difference in someone’s life.”

Publicis Singapore chief creative officer, Global Clients, Ajay Vikram said: “Even the most seemingly simple and ordinary act of care can have an extraordinary effect and change the course of a life.

“Vicks’ Touch of Care platform continues to throw a light on the lives of the less fortunate in our society and every individual’s story can be an inspiration to igniting more acts of care.”

Mission Australia is one of Australia’s largest not for profit community service organisations with 160 years of practical and proven experience in working with Australians in need.

The charity invests in housing, services and programs to reduce homelessness and strengthen communities, helping people move towards independence.

Film credits:

P&G, VICKS Australia
Vice President, Asia-IMEA Healthcare & APAC Oral: Sujay Wasan
Regional Associate Brand Director, P&G HealthCare Asia Pacific: Akhilesh Negi
Assistant Brand Manager, P&G HealthCare Asia Pacific: Gagandeep Singh Sumbria
Brand Manager HealthCare ANZ: AikShian Heng
Assistant Brand Manager Vicks ANZ: Nicolas Fischer
Creative Agency: Publicis Singapore
Chief Creative Officer, Global Clients: Ajay Thrivikraman
Associate Creative Directors: Jocelyn Chabanis and Eugene Pua
Creative Group Head: Mihir Dhairyawan
Creative: Zi Qing Ang
Account management: Natalie VanderVorst, Prachi Partagalkar, Jessica Geli and Alicia Chew
Account Planning: Jordan Price and Josh Roth
Agency Producer: Shirlie Alexis Tay
Director (film): Alan Harca
Production company: Elastic Studios Inc.
Post production: Prodigious Singapore
Sound design: SongZu
Music Composer: Adam Moses

*Names changed to protect the identity of the people Mission Australia helps.