Ordinary Man

Client: Personal Project

Deliverables: Photography, Editorial Piece, Packaging, Placards, postcards.

Titled ‘The Power of Music’, the aim of this project was to create a campaign highlighting the effects of the Irish housing crisis on young people and young families. To do so, the brief was to select a song or lyrics that could be applied to a problem of now. The song selected was ‘Ordinary Man’ by Christy Moore. The project consists of a number of touchpoints, an album cover, publication, postcards and protest placards.

The publication contains a photographic story that documents the stress placed upon families during the struggle of trying to obtain the property of their own. The lyrics of the song were hand-rendered by the subject of the photography in order to create a personal connection between them and the reader. A second typographic treatment was developed which was inspired by the bureaucratic language found in official documents associated with the process of homeownership. This also served as a second narrative to the publication and interrupts scenes of domestic bliss.

Postcards addressed to the housing minister which is contained within the packaging, offer the users the opportunity to voice their own experience. Fold-out protest placards can be mounted and used in demonstrations and marches which frequently take place around the country.