Animation has long been celebrated for its ability to tell vivid and engaging stories, but its power goes far beyond entertainment. For Charities, non-profits and social causes, animation serves as an incredibly effective tool to communicate important messages, inspire empathy, and drive action. At Fred & Eric, we believe in the power of animation for good. By using our skills to support causes that we believe matter, we help companies connect with their audiences on a deeper level, making complex issues accessible and inspiring change.
Why is Animation an Effective tool for Charities?
Since founding Fred & Eric in 2011, we’ve collaborated with many clients in the Charity sector. We always love producing these projects, and we now consider ourselves to have a great insight and expertise when it comes to creating this kind of work. We also feel very lucky to get to work on so many projects that we care passionately about.
We’ve written an in-depth article on why animation would be perfect for any Charity campaign: https://fredanderic.com/stories/is-animation-right-for-a-successful-charity-marketing-campaign
The article discusses the benefits of using animation in charity marketing campaigns, emphasising its ability to convey sensitive subjects with tact and creativity. Animation allows non-profits to engage audiences emotionally, using powerful metaphors and combining live-action with animated elements to simplify complex topics.
It also highlights the effectiveness of animated content on social media, ensuring that charity messages reach a wider audience.
In addition, accessibility is now a key aspect of many of these campaigns. Animation’s versatility makes it accessible to audiences across various digital platforms. Whether on social media, websites, or presentations, animated videos can be easily shared. With the right visuals and minimal text, an animated story can communicate its core message to a global audience, which is crucial for companies operating across different regions or globally.
Examples of Animation Supporting Social Causes that we are inspired by:
Animation has already proven its value in amplifying the voices of charities and social movements. There are so many wonderful examples. Here’s a few of our recent favorites.
Aardman - Save the Children:
We love this example made for Save the Children by Aardman. It shows perfectly how powerful a message can be without having to use any language at all. Which makes this animation so accessible. Simple but brilliant character design combined with excellent music and sound composition add to the compelling messaging.
Earlier this year we produced an animation for the NSPCC, which similarly needed to work with no voice or script, titled Uncomfortable Conversations. Although the style of our animation was very different, we used similar techniques; strong character design & original music composition with sound design.
You can look and read more about that project for the NSPCC here: https://fredanderic.com/work/uncomfortable-conversations
Greenpeace - Sanctuary:
This is a beautifully animated short film that highlights the urgent need for ocean conservation. We love the painterly illustration style and expressive flow of the cel animation. It’s a brilliantly engaging way to tell the story, a journey of a fish facing numerous threats. It’s a great example of how animation can simplify complex environmental issues, evoke empathy, and inspire action.
Alzheimers Research- Change the ending:
This last example is a real tear jerker, so get the tissues ready! Stylistically, any animation that comes close to Disney is already winning. Passion Pictures do this high-end style justice whilst also telling a poignant and important story.
Tower Hamlets - Why Vax?
At Fred & Eric, we’ve had the honour of working with many Charity and non-profit clients. It would be impossible to pick a favourite! I’m going to give the nod to a project that we think worked especially well for the target audience of young people. A fun, colorful graphic style that we think struck a perfect balance between speaking about serious information and humour.
Our Creative Process: How We Tailor Animation to Support Important Causes
Creating an animation for social causes requires a balance of creativity and knowledge. At Fred & Eric, we begin by working closely with our client to fully understand their project, audience, and the message they want to convey.
Research and Storytelling
We like to start the process by getting to know our client and the project better. This informs our storytelling process, ensuring that the message is not only accurate but also emotionally compelling. Whether it's creating characters that represent the community affected by the cause or designing visuals that resonate with the target audience, our goal is to make the message as impactful as possible.
Style Development
Once the narrative is clear, we move on to developing the visual style. For our clients, It’s important that the animation reflects their identity and speaks to their supporters. We work hard to ensure the tone is right — whether it’s heartwarming, urgent, or hopeful — and that the design aesthetic aligns with the company's values.
Production process
We then work with our talented team to bring this vision to life. Compelling character animation, engaging typographic animation, bespoke sound design, and music all come together to create an animation that captures the essence of the story, resonates emotionally with audiences, and delivers the message in an impactful and memorable way. By blending visuals and sound seamlessly, we craft animations that not only convey the core message but also leave a lasting impression on viewers, inspiring them to take action or reflect deeply on the subject.
How Animation Can Continue to Drive Change
For Charities & non-profits, animation isn’t just about creating content; it’s about forging connections, inspiring empathy, and driving real-world change. At Fred & Eric, we’re committed to using our creative skills to amplify the voices of those who need it most, and we’re excited about the future of animation as a tool for social good.
Animation is more than just a creative outlet — it’s a force for good. Whether used to educate, inspire, or rally support, it has the power to make complex issues accessible and emotionally resonant. As a female-run studio with a passion for positive impact, Fred & Eric is dedicated to working with Charities and social causes to create meaningful change through animated storytelling.
If you’re a Charity, non-profit or cause-driven company looking to amplify your message, feel free to get in touch with us.
Let’s bring your story to life through animation and make a lasting impact together.
