Christian Aid Partners with Impero and Jords in a Bid to Win Christmas no.1 Race with ‘Hold on to Hope’

Christian Aid is joining the race for the Christmas no.1 spot with the launch of ‘Hold On To Hope’, a heartfelt single which launches today in collaboration with London rapper Jords.

‘Hold On To Hope’ is part of Christian Aid’s Christmas appeal, and shines a light on communities blighted by conflict such as civilians in Gaza and Lebanon and refugees who have fled violence in Sudan. All royalties from the single will go to Christian Aid to provide emergency aid to those affected by conflict and support peacebuilding initiatives.

The idea came after Christian Aid approached Impero with a brief to help bring hope in an increasingly troubled world and create a cultural brand moment that would resonate with an audience of 18 to 35-year-olds, aka the nation’s changemakers.

Recognising the fact that music is a great unifier, Impero decided to release a song to raise awareness of the impact of conflict, support Christian Aid’s partners working with communities affected, and show that, with hope, peace can prevail.

It was also a nod to a piece of Christian Aid’s history. In 1965 they partnered with Sydney Carter to release the anthem, ‘When I Needed a Neighbour’, for the organisation’s  20th anniversary. The song has stood the test of time to become a much-loved standard for school choirs and assemblies. 

‘Hold On To Hope’ reimagines that spirit for today, bringing hope to a new generation through Jords, an artist who can build a genuine connection with UK audiences with his fusion of grime, jazz, R&B, and drill – as well as his track record of tackling tough themes in thought-provoking ways.

To reinforce a sense of unity and togetherness, Impero and Jords collaborated with the North London-based iNSIGNIA choir to create a chorus that captures the power of hope and unity.

The track is available to stream across all major music platforms and is supported with ads across Meta, TikTok and Spotify.

Impero also created a music video to connect with a new younger audience and build a deeper emotional connection with the message.

Intercutting Jords and the iNSIGNIA choir with the reality of a world of conflict, the film resolves by showing the signs of green shoots of hope emerging around the world, inspiring people to donate and support Christian Aid’s peacebuilding initiatives worldwide.

Nick Georgiadis, Christian Aid’s director of fundraising and supporter engagement, said, “Christian Aid was born out of the need to respond to the effects of violence and conflict after World War Two. For nearly 80 years, we have worked through local partners, standing together in solidarity with our most marginalised global neighbours, of all faiths and none. This Christmas, we are thrilled to have worked alongside Impero to launch this exciting project, with Jords and the iNSIGNIA choir. We urge people to download Hold On To Hope and support the efforts of all those working to bring aid and hope to people living through conflict.”

Alastair Mills, joint executive creative director at Impero, said, “Conflicts are becoming more drawn out and complex, trapping communities in poverty through repeated cycles of violence and exclusion. It’s easy to feel powerless – so helping Christian Aid and Jords harness the power of music and put out a message of hope, raising money for local partners working in areas of conflict is something we’re all immensely proud of at Impero.”  

Mike Stubley, planning director at Goodstuff, said, “We are thrilled to be part of the team partnering with Christian Aid and Jords on their new charity single this Christmas. By targeting the nation’s changemakers through smart planning we can land this all-important message of hope with music lovers.

‘Hold On To Hope’ is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, and on the Christian Aid website. 

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