Shelter has released an online film by Pablo to spotlight the broken rental system.
Created by Pablo’s creative directors Charlie Gee and Tian Murphy, the campaign focuses on a fictional letting agency called Only Choice Lettings.
Alongside the two-minute film, the campaign will run across print and digital channels including YouTube and Spotify throughout April and May.
The darkly comic film, directed by Andrew Gaynord through MindsEye, introduces viewers to a letting agent, played by comedian Rory Marshall, who tries to catch the eye of potential tenants browsing the property listings on the agency’s window.
As the agent goes into more detail about the properties, the shocking reality of their conditions comes to light, from no boiler to contaminated drinking water.
“It’s all the original features,” he explains to a mother and child. “So we’ve got a working fireplace, asbestos, wooden floorboards.”
The potential tenants look horrified at the prospect of living in one of these houses but all of the properties mentioned in the film are based on true stories reported to Shelter by private renters.
The campaign aims to unite renters and help the homelessness charity achieve its goal of making private renting safer and fairer.
In addition, the film comes at a time where Shelter is looking to build support for a new Renters’ Reform Bill.
Shelter wants the government to introduce laws that will ban section 21 “no fault” evictions, and create a national landlord register to give renters the security to challenge poor conditions.
“Every day our services hear from private renters stuck in nightmare situations, too afraid to complain for fear of eviction,” Osama Bhutta, director of communications, policy and campaigns at Shelter, explained.
“Enough is enough – whether it’s a flat riddled with mould or a tenant whose landlord barges in unannounced – it’s time the government fixed renting.
“This satirical film will make you laugh at first, but then it will make you gasp. It is a powerful reminder of the grim reality of private renting where millions of people have no choice but to put up with poor conditions. We hope it will unite renters in the fight for home.”
Dan Watts, executive creative director at Pablo, said: “This has become a very important cause for Pablo. It’s such a big issue at the moment, and something we really care about shining a light on. Investing in this and working with Shelter felt like a natural next step.”
The campaign is part of Pablo’s long-term support of the charity. At the start of the pandemic the agency donated its rent money to Shelter in order to help those in need at a time of national uncertainty.
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