| Title | WASHED AWAY |
| Brand | ACTIONAID |
| Product/Service | FLOODING AWARNEE |
| Category |
A05. Use of Real-time Data |
|
Entrant
|
WEBER SHANDWICK London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Idea Creation
|
WEBER SHANDWICK London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Media Placement
|
CLEAR CHANNEL INTERNATIONAL London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Credits
| James Nester |
Weber Shandwick |
Executive Creative Director |
| Luke Walker |
Weber Shandwick |
Creative Head |
| Tabitha Winter |
Weber Shandwick |
Head of Studio |
| Antonio Olmos |
Antonio Olmos (freelance) |
Photographer |
| Scott Jackson |
Weber Shandwick |
Video Lead and Director of Photography |
| Laura Tapper |
Weber Shandwick |
Senior Account Director |
| Marta Saez |
Weber Shandwick |
Account Director |
| Olivia McCuller |
Weber Shandwick |
Account Manager |
| Sophie Longley |
Weber Shandwick |
Account Executive |
| Philippa Dillon |
ActionAid |
Brand Engagement Manager |
| Michelle Lowery |
ActionAid |
PR Manager |
| Cora Bauer |
ActionAid |
Senior Media Officer |
| Himaya Quasem |
ActionAid |
Editorial and Stories Officer |
| Jessica Holland |
ActionAid |
Head of Brand Marketing and PR |
| Lucy McKillop |
Clear Channel UK |
Storm Marketing Manager |
| Rose Laird |
Clear Channel UK |
Communications Executive |
| David Stevens |
Clear Channel UK |
Digital Delivery Specialist |
The Campaign
Busy Londoners get wrapped up in the here and now: train delays; work deadlines; bad weather. Our idea was to use powerful images to show them that, while they were moaning about the drizzle on their commute, rain was having altogether more serious consequences in Bangladesh.
Another campaign featuring pictures of people on rafts or flood-damaged communities wasn't going to cut it. People have grown immune to images of people in need, however hard-hitting.
To get Londoners to not only notice, but care enough to leave their warm homes on a cold winter day to join a climate march, we needed symbolic imagery that would imply heart-breaking stories; all the more powerful in the imagination.
We identified a renowned humanitarian and environmental photojournalist to capture the images. His work in war-torn and weather-ravaged countries meant that he has seen first-hand the devastating effects of climate change and flooding.
Outcomes/awareness:
The campaign resulted in the largest ActionAid presence at a public demonstration since Make Poverty History in 2005. We’d moved Londoners not just to share or donate, but to contribute their time. Over 300 people marched with ActionAid at the People’s Climate March. On the back of the campaign, ActionAid spokesperson Himaya Quasem gave the opening speech at the march to more than 50,000 people.
As the world’s leaders converged on Paris for COP21, we gave ActionAid a credible voice in the climate change debate:
Knowledge/consideration:
282 pieces of coverage, including the Daily Mail and interviews on BBC Asian Network and London Live. Most featured the YouGov poll and ActionAid messages. Rain triggered the advertisement six times during the week, with run time of 2hrs.
Outputs/business results:
• Facebook reach: 30,965
• Twitter impressions: 1,111,922
• Total engagement: 12,835
• Blogs: 1,100 views
• Landing page: 2,563 views
• Total reach: 343 million (400,000 target).
We created the first digital billboard ad campaign triggered entirely by rain. A custom-coded algorithm analysed real-time local data from a nearby ultra-sonic sensor. As soon as rain was detected, the algorithm would override the content management system that plays the ad schedule, interrupting whatever was playing with emotional images of flood-damaged toys
The ad intelligently changed the messaging depending on the severity of rainfall - from light drizzle to heady showers.
We’d use the heart-wrenching images to create a charity advertising campaign with a difference, fusing outdoor technology and local data in a brand new way.
The strategy was to create the first rain-activated billboard, using live, local weather data to disrupt the schedule in a prime advertising spot in London, every time it rained.
This would stop our audience of London commuters and tourists in their tracks, and communicate the message: “Help stop childhoods being washed away. Join us on the Climate March”.
It would also give us a highly visual media hook to generate coverage alongside awareness.
We’d support the ad with paid, earned and owned activities, including tweets using #washed away, Facebook ads and real-life stories, a survey, a landing page on the ActionAid website, a blog post on Huffington Post by actress and ActionAid ambassador Lindsey Coulson, and post-campaign contributions to COP21 coverage.