Truth and love never rust
October 3, 2024
On the occasion of its 20th birthday, the Václav Havel Library is launching a new fundraising campaign. It aims to commemorate an important milestone in the VHL’s existence and to address new donors. The author of the communication concept TRUTH AND LOVE NEVER RUST is idea maker Martin Halaxa, while art director Jan Lesák is behind the graphic design. The campaign primarily draws on materials from the Library’s archive, which currently holds over 80,000 items. It is based on relatively little-known video footage of Václav Havel in various situations in his life, as well as images by photographers closely associated with him: Tomki Němec, Oldřich Škácha and Přemysl Fialka. The actor David Prachař has given his voice to the campaign, with musical accompaniment coming from the famous underground band Psí vojáci.
The campaign will run from 5 October to 18 December, i.e., from Havel’s birthday to the anniversary of his death. The holding of the campaign during this “Havel period” is also pertinent, because this year it includes the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. “We want to remind people that the Václav Havel Library has been helping to create an important space for dialogue and a critical view of modern history, educating and shaping civil society, for 20 years,” explains Milan Babík, director of the Václav Havel Library. "Like any non-profit organisation, the Václav Havel Library cannot do without the support of individual donors. In our campaign we want to ask for this help with the assurance that we appreciate everyone who decides to become our supporter."
In addition to an online paid campaign via its own social media and Metro station advertisements, the Václav Havel Library also aims to reach the public via a cinema ad. The first spot can be seen from Thursday, October 3, in five Cinema City cinemas in Prague before five selected films: Janžurka, Amerikánka, A Different Man, Javari and, from October 10, Lee.
Media partners are East Bohemia TV1, Radio 1 and KVIFF.TV. Radio 1 will support the campaign with audio ads and online banners. KVIFF.TV, an online film platform affiliated with the Karlovy Vary festival, will offer viewers the opportunity to watch a special collection of films related to the personality of Václav Havel from October 24. It will also offer a special 20% discount on subscriptions to all those who decide to support the Library within the campaign.