We have all felt ourselves to be part of a broader community over the past year as we spent more time in our homes and so in the streets that surround them. We’ve banged saucepans with our neighbours and bought coffee from the local cafe, assimilating ourselves with the community we live in.

To celebrate this and drive awareness of the Census 2021 across England and Wales, the Office for National Statistics worked with M&C Saatchi to create a new campaign, ‘It’s about us’.

The campaign has been created to help people understand the importance of this digital-first census and to understand the power that comes from data to help improve lives. The 2021 Census is particularly vital because it will provide the ONS with new information through which they can understand the long-term impact of the pandemic and ensure that the services people are using are evolving alongside their changing needs.

‘It’s about us’ is brought to life through a series of 80 portraits captured from across England and Wales. They celebrate who we are and the communities we come from. The soundtrack to the TV slot features a version of the Zombies track This Will Be Our Year recorded by a Norwich-based busking group who feature in the ad itself.

Designed to reach all adults in England and Wales, irrespective of age, location, race, sex, religion or living circumstances, the inclusive push, which has been developed in 44 languages, features nearly 200 members of the public from across England and Wales. 

Tom Firth, Managing Director, M&C Saatchi, said: “The campaign is a celebration of ‘us’, the people who make up the country, and the positive power of the census to inform our lives in the future, whoever we are and wherever we live.”

There is a degree of cautious optimism to this work that shines through the faces of those standing proudly in the campaign. It is a reminder that the communities we are a part of are only rendered stronger by our ability to understand them better.