Most people would rather die than think about death and funerals. And when they do, it usually conjures images of horse-drawn carriages, top hats, and euphemisms like “the departed” or “passed away”. In other words: Victorian Britain. The world has changed so much since Queen Victoria buried Prince Albert — but our funeral traditions were still stuck in 1861.

 

London-based funeral directors called Poppy’s are changing that. They offer other ways to say goodbye, but most people aren’t aware — because they prefer not to think about funerals, let alone ponder how normal a ‘normal’ British funeral really is. 

 

I worked with the brilliant strategists craig+bridget to make people care about an industry they'd rather not think about at all. To break through that barrier, the message had to be instant and thought-provoking.

 

The billboard and social posts went live in 2024. Within a year, Poppy's grew by 21%, increased their revenue by 23%, and opened a second location. The work also contributed to Poppy’s becoming London’s only B-Corp funeral director — and won a Silver APG award for strategic brilliance. All because we invited people to question the norm.

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