Title	DONATE KM
Brand	PONDERAS HOSPITAL
Product/Service	HEALTHCARE
Category	C02. USE OF SOCIAL IN A PR CAMPAIGN
Entrant Company	GEOMETRY GLOBAL Bucharest, ROMANIA
Advertising Agency	GEOMETRY GLOBAL Bucharest, ROMANIA

Name	Company	Position
Mihai Fetcu	Geometry Global	Creative Director
Sorana Somesan	Geometry Global	Senior Copywriter
Florina Alexandru	Geometry Global	Senior Art Director
Stefan Vasilachi	Geometry Global	Head Of Art
Alex Petrescu	Geometry Global	Strategic Planner
Matei Vasiliu	Geometry Global	Senior Art Director
Raluca Berceanu	Geometry Global	Senior Digital Account Manager
Patricia Arbanas	Geometry Global	Account Director
Mihaela Zaharia	Geometry Global	Pr Specialist
Alexandra Carlsson	Geometry Global	Social Media Strategist
Corin Chiriac	Geometry Global	Digital Planner
Raluca Bailescu	Makesense	Managing Partner
Aura Dumitru	Makesense	Pr Manager

The Campaign

Ten years ago, Romania ranked 24th in Europe’s top on population obesity. Today, Romania ranks 3rd in Europe’s obesity chart, with more than half of the adult population showing signs of obesity. Ponderas is the only Center of Excellence in obesity surgery in Eastern Europe. Some already know this, but too few understood what really sets Ponderas apart from other hospitals - for Ponderas, helping and caring for someone doesn’t start in the operating room. That’s why Ponderas needed a campaign that would stretch outside medical communication. So, for European Obesity Day, Ponderas decided to encourage physical activity and talk to, not to patients alone, but to their friends and families alike. A different kind of fundraising came to life as Ponderas set to collect acts of obesity prevention. In return, a man’s life got back to normal. The #donatekm hashtag was launched on social media. Everyone could share their morning walks, bike rides or evening runs. Bloggers, journalists, TV news started covering the campaign and more and more people joined in. Ponderas set to raise 10,000 km, but in the end there were 17,239 km shared - that’s half the Earth’s circumference in one week. Everyone joined in to help one person who needed it most, but realized they were also helping themselves. And that’s the best outcome for any charity or fundraising.

The Brief

Ponderas needed a campaign that would stretch outside medical communication and change its perception from a regular Romanian hospital to a place that does not treat patients, but helps people get better.

Results

Ponderas set to raise 10,000 km, but in the end there were 17,239 km shared - that’s half the Earth’s circumference in one week. The #donatekm hashtag was a trending topic in Romanian social media while traffic on Ponderas' site increased during the campaign. But, what's more important is that people continue to use the hashtag even after the campaign ended.

Execution

The #donatekm hashtag was launched on social media seven days before European Obesity Day. The first donations were made by former patients and Ponderas doctors. Celebrities supporting the cause followed in the next days. Every kilometer donated showed up in the live counter on social media. Bloggers started writing about the movement as more people joined in. Journalists and unpaid TV news spread it further. On European Obesity Day the 10,000 km benchmark was crossed. But that didn't stop the movement. People continued to move, run, bike. The campaign ended, but the hashtag was still used.

The Situation

Romanians don’t love hospitals. Ponderas doesn’t act like one. Ponderas’ mission is not about patients, but about helping people get better and live a normal life. European Obesity Day was an opportunity to reveal Ponderas to Romanians. Some already know ponderas is the only Center of Excellence in obesity surgery in Eastern Europe, but too few understood what really sets Ponderas apart from other hospitals - for Ponderas, helping and caring for someone doesn’t start in the operating room.

The Strategy

For European Obesity Day, Ponderas decided to collect acts of obesity prevention from Romanians. In return, one man's life got back to normal. Having a limited budget, there were no resources to build something from the scratch. Because every Romanian should have been able to join the campaign, the donations were set to be kilometers registered by an app, any mobile app. Every Facebook post or tweet with the #donatekm hashtag was taken into account. The campaign lived only on social media. Ponderas launched it, presented the tools you would need and started counting. Romanians did all the rest.