Hi—I'm Guillaume, a Creative Director from Paris now living the Dutch life in Amsterdam. Until I save up enough money to realize my dream of becoming a star-faring astrotourist, I’m realizing new, transformative ideas, back here on Earth.
Context In the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems collapsed everywhere, challenging our collective capacity to respond. With an exponential need for medical equipment and lacking support for the healthcare workers on the frontlines, it was crucial to fund and foster a global response, urgently.
Mission How to help, even if just a little?
Idea With looming lockdowns sparking panic buying, toilet paper suddenly became the icon of our global distress. So overnight, we launched GIVE-A-SHEET, an emergency call for quarantined artists to unite and turn the coveted item into a canvas—channeling art into a force against the pandemic.
Above Masks, made by Michele Ravanetti in Roccabianca, Italy on day #35 of quarantine.
Helping wipe the outbreak away
In the end, 100 sheets were sold out for a total donation of $12,550.
People could go on GIVE-A-SHEET.com to purchase a square, or contribute. @give.a.sheet could also be followed on Instagram, where artists started using their own feed as a window into the initiative. With all the proceeds going towards the WHO, anyone, anywhere, could go on GIVE-A-SHEET.com to purchase a square of TP art, thus helping wipe the outbreak away.
From symbol of distress to symbol of hope
Above Credits to all the the sheet-givers: Aleksandra Atanasovski, Andrea Messer, Astrid Niari, Blazve, Catalina Larkins, Charlotte Burke, Cristina Morettini, Deborah Garber, Federica Martini, Friederike Dietz, Grazie Prokopetz, Gregg Clampffer, Guillaume Roukhomovsky, Hayley Lim, Henry Klein, Jessica Simonis, Katy Edelsten, KC Hong, Laura Colored, LoveNotCorona, Lucie Meslien, Manon Chrétien, Mareka Stake, Masaya Kochi, Michael Paoletti, Michele Ravanetti, Mirabolle, Paul Joseph Seddon, Pnzni, Romain Joveneau, Simone Taylor, Studio Garonzi, Stéphane = Damien, William de Lannoy, Yeo Li Shian, Yue, Étienne Morin.
From humble initiative to global fundraiser
Above Some of the sheet-givers at work.
With no less than 50 artists from 28 countries answering the call, GIVE-A-SHEET scaled up from a humble Amsterdam-based initiative to a global fundraiser.
Many artists actually spontaneously reached out to get involved. One toilet paper sheet at a time, they transformed the ironic icon into a hopeful one, collecting money for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, helping the frontline from their home — but also triggering confidence, smiles and wows all around the globe and the gram.
Above Home by Blazve.
From a symbol of distress to one of hope
Eventually, the large resonance of the initiative on and offline exceeded its initial, simple fundraising purpose.
Squarespace (our web host) contacted us to offer free media space; large media companies (like Mashable) offered to cover our story online, and offline. And yes, people sometimes spent $500 over a single square of TP, not just because it was art, but because it was a fight.
Above Mashable's Video for GIVE-A-SHEET.
Awards & Press
One Show 2021 User-Generated Content (Shortlist) Innovation in Lockdown (Shortlist)
GIVE-A-SHEET
→ One Show 2021 Shortlist (User-Generated Content) Shortlist (Innovation in Lockdown)
Search Sounds
→ FWA FWA of the Day (September 6, 2019)
Make Love Not Walls
→ Cannes Lions 2017 5x Bronze (Outdoor)
→ D&AD 2017 Graphite Pencil (Outdoor Advertising)
→ Epica Awards 2017 Bronze (Fashion, Footwear & Personal Accessories)
→ Clios 2017 4x Shortlists (Fashion Photography)
Museum of Wi-Fi
→ AWWWARDS 2016 Honorable Mention (Site of the Day)
The Anti-Foot Can
→ Cristal Festival 2014 Gold (Marketing Innovation) Bronze (Brand Entertainment & Content) Bronze (Consumer Marketing) Bronze (Outdoor) 4x Shortlists
→ New York Festivals Advertising Awards 2015 Gold (Branded Entertainment)
→ Webby Awards 2015 Nominee (Social)
→ Eurobest 2014 Finalist (Innovation)
→ Grand Prix Stratégies du Brand Content 2014 Gold (Event)
→ Grand Prix Stratégies du Sport 2014 Gold (Event)
En Mode Voiture
→ Grand Prix du Brand Content 2013 Gold (Charity / Social / Great Causes)
→ Grand Prix Stratégies du Marketing Digital 2013 Gold (Interactive Movie)
Gère ton Permis
→ Grand Prix du E-Marketing 2013 Bronze (Online Campaign)
→ Grand Prix du Brand Content 2012 Gold (Bank / Insurance)
→ Top Com Consulmer 2012 Bronze (Online Campaign)
