Birmingham Pub Bombings 50 Year Memorial.
Campaign Creative Direction, Strategy and Design
I was contacted and commissioned by Birmingham Irish Association in November 2024 to work on this project and instantly said yes. I was born in the same year this tragic event took place and long have stories regarding it been shared by people affected by it in our home city.
The chaos, devastation and turmoil it caused to lives, friends, families and communities was immeasurable so I knew the importance of this brief. I’ve been immensely proud I could add my weight to this and to be able to add my vision to the campaign creative. This gave the organisation confidence in my rationale and It further allowed me to go on and shape the whole picture pre-event with some base creative strategy and overall thinking on where and how we could develop and use the campaign messaging.
5T0P FOR A M1NUTE – STAND IN THEIR MEMORY was the overarching campaign call. We asked Brummies... Wherever they were, to please observe a 1 minute's silence on Thursday 21st November 2024 @2pm in respects to mark the 50 years passing since the Birmingham Pub Bombings. The people came out. With a large number of both the general public and special guests including Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, dignitaries, bereaved families, community members, and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker etc, turning out in numbers to the service at the memorial trees at the back of Grand Central Station in Birmingham. All stood on a very cold November day and paid respects in memory of the 21 innocent victims killed and the 182 injured that day.
The event was also well supported in other locations around the city of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands. As well as the NHS, West Midlands Police, both the Ambulance and Fire Services – all who played a huge part on that very sad day.
It was featured by the national media one BBC reporter commented it was “the biggest and the best attended memorial service yet”, with ITV, BBC, SKY and other broadcasters covering the event both LIVE and in subsequent recaps.
The regions biggest football teams Aston Villa, Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion all ran specific activity to remember those lost using campaign collateral we’d created and each putting their own creative and design specifics to make it part of their family and to reach the footballing community. There was a minutes silence also at a game at Aston Villa the following home game with players wearing black arm bands.
In all it was incredible to have seen the idea adopted and respected. I’m pleased we highlighted the events of that day and importantly with respect and remembrance for the people lost.
Video and links for external coverage of the 50 year memorial event:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TB6HPxKdxE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wgQbY2qvxo
Justin Robert Price
creative. design. thinking.
