CLOSER THAN YOU THINK

TitleCLOSER THAN YOU THINK
BrandCHILD FOCUS
Product/ServiceBELGIAN CENTER FOR MISSING CHILDREN
Category G02. Low Budget / High Impact Campaign
Entrant WUNDERMAN Antwerp, BELGIUM
Idea Creation WUNDERMAN Antwerp, BELGIUM
Media Placement MEDIACOM Brussels, BELGIUM
Production STATIC FILMS Antwerp, BELGIUM
Credits
Name Company Position
Manuel Ostyn Wunderman Antwerp Creative Director
Pieter Staes Wunderman Antwerp Creative Director
Jolien Tuyteleers Wunderman Antwerp Copywriter
Kate Bellefroid Wunderman Antwerp Art Director
Seppe Dogge Wunderman Antwerp Account Manager
Helene Bouillet Wunderman Antwerp Intern Account Manager
Julie Bogaerts Wunderman Antwerp Strategic Planner
Chloé Van Elsen Wunderman Antwerp Social Media Strategist
Margot Bracke Wunderman Antwerp Social Media Strategist
Sebastien Greffe Wunderman Antwerp Design Director
Max Heirbaut Wunderman Antwerp Design Director
Dorien Wendelen Wunderman Antwerp Designer
Sarah Herlant Wunderman Antwerp Intern Designer
Bruno Dejonghe Wunderman Antwerp Producer
Mikael Naudet Wunderman Antwerp Motion Designer
Andreas De Ridder Wunderman Antwerp Motion Designer
Menno Van Riet Wunderman Antwerp Sound Engineer
Anja Van den Broeck Wunderman Antwerp DTP
Jan Boon Static Films Director
Ben Wevers Static Films Producer
Patrick Schepers Static Films Executive Producer
Piet Deyaert Static Films DOP
Hans Desmet Static Films Editor
Elien Spillebeen Static Films Researcher
Bram Dams Static Films Researcher

Provide budget details

We had a production budget of 31.000 euro and a Facebook media budget of 1000 euro. Besides that, we also received free media (tv, radio, print) from the media agency for the value of 265.487 euro.

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

The strength of the campaign is that it can be personally applied to everyone. We did not only conduct a social experiment with unknown people from all around the country. To extend the reach, six influencers were directly involved, by sending them a personal video that they couldn’t ignore: they too could be connected to the missing child. This increased the campaign’s credibility: “if Influencers X and Y and Z are connected with a missing child, I surely am as well”. The influencers shared the campaign, convincing even more people to share missing children messages in the future.

Background

Child Focus is the Belgian Center for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children. It supports victims and spreads information about missing children by publishing their pictures and descriptions online, in newspapers, magazines, on posters etc. In the run-up to the International Day of Missing Children, Child Focus wanted people to share more search messages on social media: the fastest way to reach witnesses. Unfortunately, these posts aren’t being shared enough and potential witnesses do not get to see them. When asked, “It never happens in my neighbourhood” and “I don’t know these families” are recurring reasons for people not to share. They don’t feel involved enough. In terms of awareness, the campaign message had to reach out to the entire Belgian population, because everyone can help in finding missing children. With regards to activation, we focussed on online audiences, as modern social networks are the fastest way for real-time information sharing.

Describe the creative idea

To make people feel connected to missing children, we proved that they actually are: in a social experiment, we confronted a variety of people from all around the country with a human chain that connects them to the same missing child. Then, we directly addressed a number of influencers and personally connected them to the missing child as well. The concept was based on ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ (Stanley Milgram, 1967 Harvard University): the idea that two complete strangers can be connected through a chain of only five people. So, a maximum of six steps separates everyone from a missing child, and also potential witnesses. This way, we used Six Degrees of Separation as a strategy to convince both emotional and rational thinkers. By showing that literally anyone could be connected to a missing child within six steps, the campaign touched everyone.

Describe the strategy

The target audience was the entire Belgian population, because everyone can help in finding missing children. With regards to activation, we focussed on online audiences, as modern social networks are the fastest way for real-time information sharing. Data shows that the more missing children posts are shared, the more testimonies are received. And that involvement is a crucial factor when it comes to sharing content on social channels. Unfortunately, 48% of the people do not feel personally involved with missing children (Insites consulting report, 2017). Child Focus often hears reasons like “It’s happening far away from me”. By using Six Degrees of Separation, we conducted a social experiment that could be applied to anyone, including influencers. So, without them knowing, we personally connected them to a missing child within six steps. They got the message on Twitter through a personal video, asking them to share Child Focus’s missing children posts.

Describe the execution

We first did the experiment with a variety of people from all around the country. They each were confronted with a human chain that connected them to Gevriye Cavas, a boy that went missing in 1985 at the age of 5. This experiment was launched as a social video. Then, the experiment was personalized to 6 national and international influencers. They came from various industries to get our message spread as wide as possible (sports, music, politics and media). Videos showing their connection with Gevriye were directly shared on the influencers’ Facebook and/or Twitter-pages. These videos started with a friend or family member that addressed the celebrity, drawing the attention of them and their followers. The video ended in a call-to-action asking them to share Child Focus’ missing children posts. Finally, we did the experiment live with a famous soccer player. This was displayed before an important match and online.

List the results

Media output: 55 million media impressions 800k + earned media Child Focus Facebook page: + 49% followers Missing children search posts: + 387% shares + 222% engagement + 202% total reach The increased number of shared posts led to immediate results. Shortly after the campaign, a message about an abducted girl reached 2 million people in only one night. She was found unusually quickly (within 48 hours) and the perpetrator was taken into custody.