Winners & Shortlists

SONG BY EYES

TitleSONG BY EYES
BrandALS LIGA BELGIË VZW
Product/ServiceALS LIGA
Category B04. FUNDRAISING, CHARITIES, APPEALS, NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS, PUBLIC HEALTH & SAFETY, PUBLIC AWARENESS
Entrant Company SERVICEPLAN Munich, GERMANY
Advertising Agency SERVICEPLAN Munich, GERMANY
Advertising Agency 2 SERVICEPLAN BENELUX Brussels, BELGIUM
Production Company GONZALES Antwerp, BELGIUM
Credits
Name Company Position
Alexander Schill Serviceplan Chief Creative Officer
Jeroen De Jong Serviceplan Benelux Executive Creative Director/Graphic Designer
Bart Klerckx Serviceplan Benelux Executive Creative Director
Antony Samson Serviceplan Benelux Copywriter
Veerle Guiljam Serviceplan Benelux Art Director/Graphic Designer
Nancy Delhalle Serviceplan Benelux Managing Partner
Kathleen Soontjens Serviceplan Benelux Account Supervisor
Florian Panier Serviceplan Creative Producer
Pieter Bollen Gonzales Director
Christian Rodrigues La Vita E Media Sound Designer

The Campaign

BRIEFING Raise funds for the ALS-League during the ‘warmest week’ fundraising campaign on Studio Brussels. STRATEGY Using a moment in the market (‘music for life’) and link it to ALS-League’s fundraising needs. CREATIVE APPROACH We created the first song sung by eyes. In the last phase of the disease, the only way for ALS-patients to communicate is using very expensive speech computers. This lead us to the creative concept ‘speaking with eyes’. The theme of Studio Brussels fundraising event ‘the warmest week’ is ‘life is music’. We bring this claim to live in the ‘first song sang by eyes’ with the help of Belgium’s biggest rockband dEUS, who lent their song ‘nothing really ends’ for our campaign. To realise this idea we developed a technology that allowed us to synchronise mouth and eye movement. Allowing this ALS patient to sing the song with his eyes. PR APPROACH Serviceplan managed all PR within the agency resources. A dedicated inhouse content manager superived all PR activities. Instead of a 'classic' Project Manager who coordinates this kind of campaigns, we've put PR and content in the heart of this project. The campaign included therefor a lot of 'PR triggers' such as: TVC (was shot with the help of Timmy, an ALS patient who is in the advanced stage of the disease), C2A (people were asked to organise a fundrainsing themselves so we can use people as a media, spreading our message via earned media), SoME seeding, etc.

The Brief

GOAL Raise money to help the funding of expensive speech computers during the existing ‘music for life’ fundraising event. CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS Higher awareness for the ALS League and problematics of the ALS disease. The maximum outcome (money and PR) with the lesser monetairy investments. PUBLIC Every Belgian household was a potential contributor. RESEARCH Discover an innovative technique that allows a speechless person to sing a song. The knowledge that emotion + innovation are a vector for earned media and PR.

Results

We received a gigantic media- and pr echo: - Studio Brussels picked up our video and invited us for a prime time interview on national radio. - We obtained for more than €50.000 in free media. - Social media interactions went up to 80.000 (national but also international tweets and shares). - In total our campaign generated over €120.000 for the ALS League.

Execution

We created the first song sung by eyes. In the last phase of the disease, the only way for ALS-patients to communicate is using very expensive speech computers. This lead us to the creative concept: ‘speaking with eyes’. The theme of Studio Brussels fundraising event ‘the warmest week’ is ‘life is music’. We bring this claim to live in the ‘first song sang by eyes’ with the help of Belgium’s biggest rockband dEUS, who lent their song ‘nothing really ends’ for our campaign. To realise this idea we developed a technology that allowed us to synchronise mouth and eye movement. Allowing this ALS patient to sing the song with his eyes. The campaign tvc was shot with the help of Timmy, an ALS patient who is in the advanced stage of the disease. This campaign is realised by all partners on a pro-bono basis.

The Situation

The ALS League is a fundraiser for people suffering from ALS. As patients lose the ability to speak the only way of communicating is to use expensive speech system. We raise funds during the existing ‘music for life’ fundraising event. It is not simple. Standing out becomes less obvious with 700 competing associations battling for donations. Problems: 1. volunteers rather donate money for well-known associations such as the Red Cross or Amnesty International. 2. the financial crisis also reduces the overall monetairy result of donations. 3. the disease ALS and activities of the ALS-League needed explination before calling to action.

The Strategy

Using a moment in the market (‘music for life fundraising by Studio Brussels’) and link it to ALS-League’s fundraising needs. We obtained free media through an innovative and engaging creative idea. We created awareness for the ALS-Ligue and explain ALS as disease. We made an innovative technique that allowed a speechless person to sing a song. Through the knowledge that emotion + innovation is a vector for earned media and PR, we've managed to respond to the objectives. We let an ALS patient sing a song with his eyes. The song was given to us by the famous Belgian rockband called dEUS. The idea rapidly got picked up by media and generated free media. Some highlights: a prime time interview on national radio, €50.000 in free media, 80.000 social media interactions, €120.000 in fundraising.