Since it’s launch more than 5 years ago Twitter has become the source of breaking news and commentary for dozens of major events around the world from air crashes, natural disasters, celebrity deaths, political debate and revolution. Before Twitter and Facebook our online discussions and sharing were mostly confined to commenting on news sites and blogs, instant messaging systems amongst our family and friends or literally hanging out at the office water cooler.
It’s interesting to imagine how past events may have been discussed or shared if social networks like Twitter or Facebook existed back then. With that concept in mind, London ad agency muirhoward have taken that idea and created Network43, a campaign launched in honour of Remembrance Day. The campaign documents the experiences of four Londoners during the three weeks between October 20th and November 11, 1943.
The campaign was inspired by conversations about the experiences of the grandmother of an muirhoward employee. The grandmother had been an evacuee during the war, and had attended 20 schools during that time. Four Twitter personas were created for the campaign including; Billy (@SpitfireBilly) a 14 year-old ex-evacuee; Ellie Blackwood (@EllieSE18), a 21 year-old factory worker; Kay Parker (@KayMakes), a 25 year-old school teacher; and Spr. James Campbell (@SprJames), a 28 year old soldier recovering from an injury.
The information for the tweets was drawn from The British Library Newspaper Archive, Greenwich Heritage Centre, London Fire Brigade Museum, experts, as well as the personal accounts and diaries of people who experienced that time period.
via The Drum.