War. Pandemic. Natural disasters. Crises.

In the Middle East, they have caused deaths, including of adults, including of parents.

In turn, they’ve caused families to break.

And the aftermath has left children, orphaned, without a home.

These children need families and homes to adopt them and make them their own.

But adoption and giving children a home, is inaccurately perceived to be against religion and is hence, perceived to be illegal.

So, the process to adopt a child has been unknown.

Children needing a home, are left in orphanages.

Home Centre, is a leading furniture retail brand in the Middle East.

Its belief is that everyone deserves a home they feel at home in.

And its purpose is to enable people in every home to create and share their own home’s story.

With many orphans left without a home, Home Centre had to pivot its social good initiative towards adoption.

We launched “The Homecoming”, the first initiative by a brand in the Middle East to help orphaned children find a family and a home to call their own.

We enabled Home Centre to become the first brand to propagate and support adoption in the region, by challenging the cultural taboo around adoption in the Middle East, and by helping and enabling parents-in-waiting to adopt through content, tools and resources.

A narrative short film on social and digital platforms launched the initiative, sharing the journey of an Arab couple expecting a baby over 9 months; the time it takes to adopt a child. Based on the insight that you’re also “expecting your adopted baby” just like other parents “expect their own baby”, with intentional misdirection, it feels like a typical film of expecting parents, until the rug-pull, where we reveal the wife isn’t pregnant, and that they are adopting a child.

The POV: “Just because they are not born our own, doesn’t mean we can’t give them a home.”

More often than not, the most pertinent societal problems are also the ones with the biggest taboos.

In the Middle East, adoption and fostering as a topic and a concept isn't just frowned upon, it is actively denounced - by some religious scholars, by society, by relatives in the family (including one’s parents) and by social circles.

Legally, it is challenging as well owing to the lack of knowledge and the societal taboo.

First, we had to break the taboo and disarm people into seeing the good they’d do to a child’s life by adopting the child.

Then, we had to be the ally to those who wanted to adopt by giving them access to knowledge, organizations and emotional support they needed to make the process of adoption known, easier and effective.

The Homecoming initiative travelled the region, but it also travelled the world.

TOP-TIER TRADE MEDIA SUPPORTED IT:

“Addressing a topic unspoken of.” (Asianet Newsable)

“Challenges stigma around adoption.” (AdAge)

“Adopts a broader definition of family.” (Shoot Online)

“A meaningful initiative.” (Arab Ad)

MAJOR NEWS PLATFORMS PROMOTED IT:

It was promoted on The CW, FOX, NBC, CBS, abc Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Times of India, Lovin’ Dubai, MeTV, The Family Channel, The Action Channel, Ion Television, The Walk TV and LNTN, among many others.

IT EARNED ATTENTION:

180+ million reach

1.2 billion earned impressions

1219 free airings

132+ million views

Reached 65% of the region

$6.2 million free media

135,000+ engagements

467,000+ website visits

AND MADE AN IMPACT:

Importantly, as the initiative found its home in people’s hearts and sentiments changed from 50% negative to 82% positive, more children without a home found a family, and a home too.

The Homecoming initiative travelled the region, but it also travelled the world.

TOP-TIER TRADE MEDIA SUPPORTED IT:

“Addressing a topic unspoken of.” (Asianet Newsable)

“Challenges stigma around adoption.” (AdAge)

“Adopts a broader definition of family.” (Shoot Online)

“A meaningful initiative.” (Arab Ad)

MAJOR NEWS PLATFORMS PROMOTED IT:

It was promoted on The CW, FOX, NBC, CBS, abc Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Times of India, Lovin’ Dubai, MeTV, The Family Channel, The Action Channel, Ion Television, The Walk TV and LNTN, among many others.

IT EARNED ATTENTION:

180+ million reach

1.2 billion earned impressions

1219 free airings

132+ million views

Reached 65% of the region

$6.2 million free media

135,000+ engagements

467,000+ website visits

AND MADE AN IMPACT:

Importantly, as the initiative found its home in people’s hearts and sentiments changed from 50% negative to 82% positive, more children without a home found a family, and a home too.