Meet Rob. One of the 1.7 million older people in the UK who can’t afford to turn their heating on this winter.
In 2025, charity Independent Age called on the government to undo the winter fuel payment cuts.
But how do you show people the cold reality faced by older people?
1 ice sculpture
1400+ pieces of media coverage
500K petition signatures
The Challenge
At 10 degrees a home can kill. Yet 1.7 million older people won’t turn their heating on due to the winter fuel payment cuts. These people feel frozen and forgotten.
Attention Seeking
We gave them a voice.
Meet Rob, a pensioner from Cornwall who can’t afford to turn his heating on this winter. By recreating his likeness in ice, which was unveiled outside the Tate Modern, we gave him a platform to tell his story and petition the government to change the legislation.
Impact
Rob’s sculpture attracted media attention from major TV broadcasters, radio and press.
His story was told by countless media outlets, and Rob himself appeared in 17 TV broadcast interviews, appearing on Good Morning Britain, BBC News, Sky News and GB News. The campaign gained over £1.5 million in earned media coverage.
With the help of Independent Age, Rob’s message raised over 500,000 signatures petitioning the government to change the legislation.
Media Mix
Activation, Social, PR
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