The Hawthorndale Care Village is a ground-breaking aged care facility in Invercargill inspired by the internationally acclaimed Dutch De Hogeweyk model. Purpose-built to create a sense of home, dignity and belonging, the village replaces the traditional institutional model with a warm, community-centred environment where residents live in small households, enjoy familiar routines and remain connected to everyday life. With care houses, independent living villas and a vibrant village centre, Hawthorndale offers a new gold standard in dementia and aged care for Southland.
Naked Creative was engaged at the project’s inception to develop a fundraising campaign that would inspire deep emotional connection and mobilise community support to raise the capital needed for construction. Caring for our elderly is a deeply personal issue for many, and the campaign needed to resonate across the region - inviting individuals, businesses, and stakeholders to not just donate, but to feel part of building a legacy of care.
Our role was to craft the story and create the tools to support the fundraising drive. The challenge was to communicate the innovative nature of the Hawthorndale model while keeping the heart of the story focused on people - the residents, their families, and the community that would surround them. We equipped the project team with a compelling narrative and campaign assets to enable them to achieve their goals.
From the outset, we immersed ourselves in the vision for Hawthorndale, ensuring that every creative decision reflected the warmth, compassion and dignity at the heart of the project. We began by crafting a brand identity and logo that would instantly communicate trust and care, setting the visual tone for the entire campaign. Photography and film became central to the storytelling, capturing the human moments this village would make possible - shared meals, laughter in the garden, and the comfort of a familiar home environment.
The website was designed as both an information hub and an emotional touchpoint, combining clear pathways for donations with compelling narratives about the people and philosophy behind Hawthorndale. A suite of printed collateral supported one-on-one donor conversations, with brochures and handouts telling the story in a way that felt personal and persuasive.
To launch the campaign, we staged an event that brought the vision to life, transforming architectural drawings and plans into an immersive experience for the community, dignitaries and media. Branded signage and a carefully considered event flow ensured every guest left with a clear understanding of the project’s purpose and the role they could play in making it a reality.
Our work wove together brand, story and strategy into a cohesive campaign that stirred hearts and inspired action. The result was a groundswell of support that not only met but exceeded the fundraising goals, paving the way for Hawthorndale Care Village to open its doors. Today, the fully operational village stands as a vibrant, lived-in community -a place where care is not a service but a way of life -bearing the imprint of a campaign built on empathy, trust and the belief that together, we can create something extraordinary.
