THE MASS ARCHIVE SEFTON FOSTERING
Sefton Fostering
Finding Inner Superheroes.
MASS Role
MASS developed the creative direction and campaign identity for Sefton Council’s foster-carer recruitment campaign, turning a sensitive and urgent brief into a positive, memorable idea that could connect with families throughout the borough.
Client
Sefton Council: Fostering Service
Delivery
Creative Strategy · Campaign Identity · Art Direction
Copywriting · Outdoor Advertising · Print · Digital & Social
The Challenge
Sefton Council needed to recruit 30 new foster carers or families from a wide range of backgrounds, providing safe and supportive homes for children of all ages—particularly sibling groups and older children.
Choosing to foster is a major and deeply personal decision. The campaign therefore needed to capture attention without oversimplifying the responsibility involved or relying on negative and overly emotional messages.
It had to inspire potential carers, communicate the difference they could make and reassure them that Sefton’s fostering team would provide the training and support they needed throughout the journey.
The Idea
We found a positive and empowering way into the story: every child has an inner superhero, but even superheroes need support, love and guidance.
Rather than presenting the foster carer as someone who arrives to save the day, the campaign focused on the caring and dependable person who helps a child discover their own confidence, abilities and potential.
The familiar language of superheroes gave the campaign immediate energy and recognition, while the emotional heart of the idea kept the message human, sensitive and focused on the children.
The Work
MASS created an integrated recruitment campaign capable of working across outdoor, print and digital channels.
The campaign combined a distinctive visual identity with bold imagery, accessible messaging and playful superhero references. The work included posters, outdoor advertising, digital and social content, and adaptable materials supporting community engagement and fostering information events.
Every element encouraged people to reconsider what makes a superhero, showing that patience, stability, encouragement and care can be genuinely life-changing qualities.
The Result
The Inner Superhero campaign gave Sefton Fostering Service a distinctive and emotionally engaging platform from which to recruit new carers.
Its positive message helped communicate the importance of fostering while making a complex subject feel approachable, inclusive and relevant to local families.
The idea gained support from local care leavers and council representatives and continued into Foster Care Fortnight, extending the campaign’s reach and encouraging more people to consider the difference they could make to a child’s life.
Client Response
“MASS consistently brought creativity, care and a real understanding of our communities to their work for Sefton.
They knew how to take an important public-service message and turn it into something distinctive, engaging and accessible. The fostering campaign balanced a powerful creative idea with genuine warmth, keeping the children and families at the heart of everything.
They were always thoughtful, collaborative and an absolute pleasure to work with.”
Lesley Davies Senior Development Manager Sefton Libraries