The Gran Squad: Putting social housing back on Scotland's national agenda

Client: Shelter Scotland

Scotland was gripped by a housing emergency, but for decision-makers, the crisis had become "politically normalised". Ambition had stalled; leaders no longer believed building at scale was possible. Shelter Scotland and 89up needed to shatter this apathy and put social housing back on the national agenda.

The strategy was simple: move from technocratic policy to a shared national project rooted in pride. We introduced the Gran Squad - straight-talking Scottish grans with the lived experience and moral authority to give politicians the "pep talk" only a gran can deliver. This digital-first campaign used warmth, humour, and blunt honesty to cut through political fatigue. By reminding the public that Scotland has built at scale before, we converted nostalgia into modern-day mobilisation. We secured a rapid policy win: Only halfway through the campaign, the Scottish Government met a key demand, announcing a new national housing agency: More Homes Scotland.