Why authenticity matters: bringing Our Festive Spread to life on screen
Royal Voluntary Service plays a vital role in supporting older and vulnerable people across the UK. Their centres, clubs and community groups offer places where people can come together, and stay socially connected. This support becomes even more important at Christmas, when feelings of loneliness can increase and many people find themselves without company. ‘Our Festive Spread’ events give people a place to share a meal, talk to others and enjoy a time that can be difficult for many.
And to bring this to life, DTV was given an exciting opportunity to develop a DRTV campaign designed to engage and inspire the Royal Voluntary Service donor audience on television.
When planning the campaign, our key aim was to capture the warmth of these events. We wanted the TV ad to show the real atmosphere of one of the events and highlight the meaningful moments that make these events so valuable and a real lifeline.
To bring that to screen, we spent a day filming in September at a Royal Voluntary Service centre. The shoot focussed on recreating a genuine Festive Spread, and we were joined by a full team of volunteers and real beneficiaries who kindly took part. Their presence shaped the day and gave it a natural flow. People settled into conversations, shared stories and interacted in a way that reflected the true spirit of these events. The day was full of laughter and energy, and everyone involved from the volunteers, beneficiaries and our team alike had a brilliant day. This authenticity helped us capture the sense of connection Royal Voluntary Service works so hard to build across the country.
“Shooting with Royal Voluntary Service was a joy! The team, volunteers and people attending lunch made it feel like Christmas (in September…) and made the whole project truly unforgettable.”
After the shoot, we continued developing the campaign beyond the DRTV ad. We have produced a series of digital adaptations to bring the concept to life across different platforms and reach different audiences. Together, these creatives work to showcase the role Royal Voluntary Service plays at Christmas and throughout the year, and encourages people to donate towards a dish at a Festive Spread event.
Working with Royal Voluntary Service on this project has been a meaningful start to our new partnership. Seeing the impact of their work up close reinforced why this campaign matters. The final advert showcases the warmth we saw on the day and the value of giving people a place to connect, especially during the festive season.
This Christmas, help turn a table into a lifeline. Donate to Our Festive Spread and support the work of Royal Voluntary Service.
Bio
Daisy is an Assistant Producer at DTV, where she has spent the past year and a half delivering work for a diverse portfolio of charity clients. She collaborates closely with organisations across the charity sector and draws on her strong background in film and TV production and project management to support every stage of a campaign