Meaningful Mahi
The disability support sector in Aotearoa faced a critical challenge: an aging workforce that lacked the
diversity necessary to reflect and effectively serve its communities. To address this, the Meaningful
Mahi campaign was launched by Curative in partnership with Te Pou. The campaign's goal was to inspire
young and diverse individuals to consider careers in disability support by highlighting the meaningful
relationships and fulfilling experiences within the field.
The project involved creating a compelling campaign that showcased three real-life pairings of disabled
individuals and their support workers. The objective was to visually and digitally represent these
relationships and activities that bonded them. This included photographing the pairs in ways that
depicted their shared interests and designing various campaign materials to drive traffic to a microsite
that housed their stories and provided information about support work opportunities.
The campaign photography focused on capturing vibrant and authentic portraits of the pairs, along with
objects that symbolized their joint activities and passions. Each setup was carefully planned, tested,
and directed to ensure that the images conveyed the deep connection and joy inherent in their
relationships. On the digital side, a comprehensive microsite was designed in close collaboration with
developers. This site served as a hub for the campaign, featuring the stories and providing an intuitive
navigation experience. It linked seamlessly to social media, digital advertising, and street posters,
guiding users to learn more about support work and explore available job opportunities.
The campaign effectively highlighted the rewarding nature of disability support work, showcasing it as a
field rich with human connection and personal fulfillment. The engaging visuals and well-designed
digital presence contributed to its broad reach. While the campaign garnered positive attention and
engagement, it contributed to shifting perceptions and encouraging a more diverse workforce to explore
opportunities in the disability support sector. The initiative helped position support work as an
appealing and accessible career path for younger generations.
View the project here.
