Stichting Jarige Job
In the Netherlands there are more than 100,000 children who cannot celebrate their birthday because there is simply no money for it. The Jarige Job Foundation helps these children by giving them a ‘birthday box’. This box contains everything needed for a real birthday at home and at their school.
Challenge
A growing number of children in the Netherlands grow up in poverty. The families of these children lack the financial needs to celebrate the birthdays of these children. For children their birthday is a special day: their own special day. To not be able to celebrate that day, results in a feeling of not being important. This leads to isolation and prevents children from growing up care free.
This is not a pleasant message. It’s confrontational for unfortunate children and is based on grown up problems that are difficult to explain to a young public.
The right demographic to be activated is young people and their families, experiencing birthdays from the perspective of young children. These people understand the magic of their special day.
The challenge was finding a tool or platform that can inform and activate people in the right tone, showcasing the necessity and joy of birthday in a non provocative positive way.
Solution
SuperJob and SuperHaas! We created a superhero character that is the personification of Jarige Job, experiencing the world the way children do. SuperJob is a young boy that, together with his plush bunny, has turned himself into a superhero wearing a handcrafted superhero costume. SuperJob is somewhat cartoonish but still relatable: he is not muscled, he has no superpowers and he is not extremely handsome. He is a regular child on a supermission and you can help him.
SuperJob is the face of the organisation. He can deliver the fun and serious messages in a charming way. He shows what birthdays are about and why you should help, without displaying poverty and sadness.
Every Child deserves a Super Birthday
Result
The foundation has grown enormously, receiving more donations and thus providing more birthdayboxes. The organisation went from around 35.000 boxes in 2014 to over 100.000 in 2024. The distinct bright and happy corporate ID is very recognizable, and seen everywhere. Companies and brands like to donate their advertisement space to Jarige Job.
