REFLECT- WINDSOR YARDS – POPPY APPEAL – REMEMBRANCE IN THE YARDS 

Windsor Yards Shopping Centre set out to create a show-stopping Remembrance-themed campaign that would engage with the local community, raise money for the Royal British Legion, and be as green as possible whilst doing so! Thus, we created the Recycled Poppy Canopy, a collaborative effort between local schools and the community.

The poppies were created and decorated by children and community groups which directly involved the youngest generation to celebrate 100 years of the Royal British Legion. The Centre received a fantastic 647 recycled poppies, as a result, Windsor Yards contributed £647 – £1 for every poppy- to The Royal British Legion. The striking installation cemented the shopping centre into the community and extended relationships with schools which has led to further collaborations.  

We selected the ideal location to create a canopy of iconic red poppies and engaged and liaised with 15 schools and groups to create recycled bottles. Poppies then continually arrived at Donation Drop Off points at local shops, which were then arranged and meticulously hung to construct the vibrant canopy. Rob Gramson, Windsor Yard’s Centre Manager commented; “It’s been amazing to see how our local community have pulled together to make over 600 recycled poppies to raise money for The Royal British Legion.” In addition, we also generated fantastic online exposure, with Google Ads receiving 2.9 million impressions and web users increasing by 39.2%. Social media also soared, with Ads receiving 271,653 impressions and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter also all saw engagement increases of 75%, 46% and 365% respectively. 

This all generated a 15% footfall increase and our Press outreach resulted in £250,000 worth of PR, a fantastic result from a modest £4,000 budget. Windsor Yards and the community loved this installation so much, that The Recycled Poppy Canopy will become an annual event and bigger every time!