Comic Relief, the nonprofit harnessing the power of comedy to drive action for kids facing poverty, launched a new large-scale national campaign today, built around a simple yet uncomfortable truth: it’s much easier to come up with reasons not to deal with childhood poverty than it is to actually do something about it.
Introducing “Not Our Problem” – a fictional nonprofit “dedicated” to doing absolutely nothing about childhood poverty. The satirical hero film, directed by Brad Morris, takes aim at the absurd, everyday excuses people use to convince themselves that helping is someone else’s responsibility. Throughout the spot, a cast of ordinary people confidently explain why childhood poverty isn’t their concern, standing up to “take action” against standing up in the first place – culminating in a deadpan reveal that redirects viewers to real solutions.
Developed in partnership with creative agency Quality Meats, the campaign represents a fresh departure from traditional cause advertising, using comedy to disarm, disrupt, and draw audiences into a serious issue in an unexpected way. Designed with a tone and relevance tailored for today’s cultural moment, the work directly confronts societal indifference by giving that apathy a name, a logo, and a satirical ad campaign of its own.
Marking Comic Relief's first dedicated, brand-focused national campaign, this campaign will extend from national reach into neighborhood action. The PSA will run as a fully integrated program across TV, out-of-home, print, and digital, including :60 and :30 anthem films with :15 cutdowns, an audio execution for music services, and organic social content to carry the message further.
“Childhood poverty is a national problem happening in our own backyards, it is entirely solvable, and we can’t afford to wait any longer,” said Michele Ganeless, Chief Executive Officer of Comic Relief. “For too many of us, childhood poverty has been easy to ignore, and an almost acceptable fact of life. Comedy has the unique power to disarm people and say the truth in a way that gets heard and moves people to action, helping change the narrative from there’s nothing we can do about it to there’s something we can all do.”
“Childhood poverty is definitely not funny. In fact it’s so painfully unfunny, that voluntarily doing nothing about it seems like a joke, said Brian Siedband Co-Founder and Co-CCO at Quality Meats. “And when you articulate the reasons why most people do nothing about it, when you proudly state it out loud, it sounds completely absurd. We’re using that absurdity as a Trojan horse to get people to question their own reasons for not doing anything.”
As the campaign's own punchline puts it: It would be funnier if it wasn't so true.
Beyond the national campaign, Comic Relief is bringing its call to action to life through Neighborhood Festivals, a new, nationwide series of free events launching this fall that make getting involved real, tangible, and simple. Kicking off on September 19 in Los Angeles at the historic Paramount Pictures Studio Lot, these in-real-life gatherings give people the opportunity to meet their neighbors and connect directly with local organizations working to end childhood poverty. The inaugural festival in LA pairs hands-on volunteering with entertainment, and will feature comedy performances from groups including The Groundlings and UCB.
The campaign leans into comedy as a provocative force for change, reflecting Comic Relief’s unique ability to use humor to disrupt indifference and spark meaningful engagement. Rather than relying on traditional cause messaging, the work uses satire to disarm audiences, proving that comedy can move people from passive laughter to real-world action.
CREDITS:
Client: Comic Relief
Chief Operating Officer: Michele Ganeless
Chief Creative Officer: Jordan Kurzweil
Chief Strategy & Impact Officer: Lauren Spitzer
Director, Production: Amy DePaola
Agency: Quality Meats
Co-Founders and Co-Chief Creative Officers: Brian Siedband & Gordy Sang
Creative Directors: Matt McCabe & Alyssa Trocina
Partner, Managing Director: Amy Edwards
Partner, Head of Growth: Jonathan King
Partner, Head of Strategy: Joe Burns
Executive Producer: Cate McManus
Account Supervisor: Gustavo Feria
Director: Brad Morris
Line Producer: Cristin Lim
DP: Beth Napoli
Post House: Echobend
Executive Producer: Ryan Turner
DIT and Assistant Editor: Francisco Lopez
Assistant Editor: Tia Castile
Editor: Emma Kane
Colorist: Moksh Chitkara
Sound Mix: Rob Hill
Original Music: John Merikoski
