Help The Aged relaunch charity gift website

by Jacquie Bowser, Brand Republic 30-Nov-07, 15:10

LONDON - Charity Help The Aged has revamped its website ‘Cows ‘n' Things', which allows users to shop for gifts to donate to the most disadvantaged elderly people around the globe.

The site, designed by digital agency Twentysix London, now includes a catalogue of essential items that the world's poorest and most vulnerable elderly people need.

Goats, cows, toilets, bee-hives, medical equipment and even small businesses such as tea shops, all ranging in price from £5 to £400, can now be bought and donated through the website.

Users can search for gifts by price, category or alphabetically, or can browse through stories of those who have been helped by the scheme.

The site also features an updated basket system, personalised messages and multiple address deliveries.

Twentysix London has added fun and quirky creative elements to the site to ensure consumer engagement. These include a post-purchase email that shows animation of a box being dropped from an aeroplane.

Paul Coffey, client services director, Twentysix London, said: "Simple functionality and clear navigation are key to encouraging visitors to buy gifts from themselves or on behalf of others to help people on the other side of the world.

"'Cows 'n' Things' is a positive scheme that can provide aid at grass roots level and we have conveyed that optimism through bright graphics, fun animation and by featuring the stories of the elderly whose lives have been transformed by donations."

The site goes live in early December.

Separately, CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) is launching an online advent calendar. Each day, CAF will open a door on the calendar to reveal a donor and their favourite charity, explaining why they support them.

The aim of the advent calendar is to raise awareness of lesser-known causes and to encourage people to think about the range of charities that need their support.