The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt. A sudden lockdown left families, friends and coworkers physically separated from one another during an intense time of uncertainty. So we set out to show how the 2.7 billion people connected on Facebook apps could help people help each other. Because underneath the sadness and uncertainty was a stronger force: solidarity. If we could capture the outpouring of humanity that was unfolding in real time, we could move even more people to join and help through our Covid Support Hub.

In March 2020, the world suddenly stopped. Half the world was under lockdown. There was sadness. There was fear. Yet underneath it was a stronger force: solidarity.

“Never Lost” was a meditation on the power of human connection at a time when the simple act of seeing another person’s face was how we carried on. Set to an excerpt to Kate Tempest's 2019 poetic song “People’s Faces,” the film showcased the humanity taking place on Facebook’s apps to reinforce their Community Help feature as well as remind people that we’re never lost if we can find each other.

Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. In March 2020, as the pandemic fully emerged, the world was forced to be physically apart. Amid all the tragedy, COVID-19 also revealed a very human desire to connect and support each other. All over the world and on Facebook’s platforms, people were showing their resilience and ingenuity––singing from their balconies, showing their support for essential workers, delivering food to the elderly––and supporting each other in other big and small ways, proving that, even though the pandemic was keeping us physically apart, our solidarity kept us together.

As the pandemic emerged, the world changed drastically seemingly overnight. Yet amidst the sadness and confusion, COVID-19 also revealed the best of human nature as people found new ways to exist in the reality of lockdown.

To illustrate this, we released “Never Lost,” a found-footage film set to an excerpt from Kate Tempest's spoken word track “People’s Faces,” to promote Facebook’s Community help feature as well as remind us that we’re never lost if we can find each other.

Produced in only seven days and featuring footage shot less than 24 hours before its release, the film had over 1.5 billion impressions in the U.S. alone, and drove nearly 650,000 people to the COVID Support Hub. The :90 spot aired on national broadcast TV, FEP, OLV and social channels facebook and Instagram.

“Never Lost” played a critical role in sending a message of solidarity at a time the world needed it. The film had a share rate three times its marketing benchmark and had 2.9 million meaningful engagements in a matter of days.

In the U.S. alone, the film had over 1.5 billion impressions. Given the film’s global relevance, there were also paid media campaigns outside the U.S. in markets where the COVID Support Hub was offered. Tens of millions of Canadians, Australians and Britons heard the powerful message, registering over 300 million impressions.

Most importantly, the film drove people to action. There were 648,000 clicks to the Covid Support Hub from the film. When the press reported on the Support Hub, 45% of publications mentioned the film, illustrating its powerful effect in encouraging people to seek or offer help.