| Title | THE HOMELESS WEBSHOP |
| Brand | SOLIDARITÉ GRANDS FROIDS |
| Product/Service | NON PROFIT |
| Category |
E02. Innovative Use of Technology |
|
Entrant
|
TBWA\BELGIUM Brussels, BELGIUM
|
|
Idea Creation
|
TBWA\BELGIUM Brussels, BELGIUM
|
|
PR
|
TBWA\BELGIUM Brussels, BELGIUM
|
|
Production
|
TBWA\BELGIUM Brussels, BELGIUM
|
Credits
| Gert Pauwels |
TBWA |
Digital Creative Director |
| Greg Van Buggenhout |
TBWA |
Art Director |
| Olaf Meuleman |
TBWA |
Copywriter |
| Valérie Demeure |
TBWA |
Account Director |
| Olivia Maisin |
TBWA |
Designer |
| Yannick Van der Goten |
TBWA |
Front-End Developer |
| Stijn Mertens |
TBWA |
Project Manager |
| Diederik van Remoortere |
TBWA |
Rich Media Developer |
| Wannes Vermeulen |
TBWA |
PHP Developer |
| Isabelle Verdeyen |
TBWA |
Public Relations |
| Paulien Putman |
TBWA |
Public Relations |
Describe the creative idea
The homeless organisations in Brussels have had a difficult time since the Samusocial-scandal. People were not willing to donate money anymore… So we had to create something where the public could participate in a positive way.
Therefore we created the Homeless Webshop, a website without an address, looking for shelter on other websites. We counted on people, organisations and media to give temporary shelter to our Webshop on their own website. An innovative way to support a charity.
The homepages did not donate any money, but they generated a massive amount of traffic to our webshop, which led to sales.
By counting on the public, media and even businesses for visibility, we created a positive movement around the problem of homelessness again, which increased donations.
Describe the execution
The Homeless Webshop was the first webshop without an address (or url), looking for shelter on other websites. Just like the homeless it supported, the Homeless Webshop had no address. We asked people and organizations behind big and small websites, to give shelter to our webshop. All they had to do was add a single line of code to their site. An innovative way to support a charity, not donating money, but website traffic.
In the webshop you could buy virtual products, like sleeping bags or a room for the night, to support the homeless.
We launched The Homeless Webshop on Facebook, with that line of code and a call for help. And it worked.
The Webshop immediately found shelter on dozens of blogs and websites. On Twitter we reached out to the media, asking them to give shelter too. And they did. Belgium’s biggest news sites, the most popular magazines, and several national brands all gave shelter, and website traffic.