Christmas campaign highlights realities of life on the street

Rosa Paris has developed an awareness campaign for the Foundation for Housing that challenges the visual language of traditional Christmas advertising, placing homelessness at the centre of the festive season. The work highlights the contrast between seasonal abundance and the reality faced by more than 300,000 people without a home.

As cities fill with lights, decorations and crowded shop windows, the campaign focuses on those who remain largely unseen during the holidays. By deliberately stepping into a space usually dominated by commercial brands, the Foundation for Housing aims to increase its visibility and prompt reflection at a moment often associated with comfort and generosity.

Breaking with Christmas advertising conventions

Set against a backdrop of celebration and colour, the film introduces a Santa Claus figure who stands apart from familiar festive imagery. His costume is worn, wet and heavy, reinforcing a sense of physical and emotional burden. While crowds move past surrounded by warmth and light, he experiences cold, noise and tension, blending into the background as passersby overlook or brush past him.

This contrast is used to underline how people experiencing homelessness are frequently ignored, even at the height of the holiday season. The character moves through illuminated streets and shop windows that appear to turn away from him, reinforcing the sense of isolation and invisibility.

A stark portrayal of life on the street

Rosa Paris reinterprets the Santa Claus myth to remove any sense of enchantment, replacing it with a raw depiction of life on the street. The film presents homelessness as harsh and dangerous, showing the cumulative impact of exposure, insecurity and indifference.

Directed by Lola Quivoron, with cinematography by Paul Guilhaume and production by Wanda Production, the film adopts a documentary-like realism. The approach avoids sentimentality, instead confronting viewers with an unfiltered portrayal of survival during a period often associated with care and protection.

The campaign is running across digital platforms, cinema, VOD, TV, radio and social media. It is designed to raise awareness of homelessness during the holidays and encourage support for the Foundation for Housing’s ongoing work with people living without stable accommodation.

www.rosaparis.com

www.fondationdefrance.org

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