Title	CRYING STATUE
Brand	AIDSFONDS
Product/Service	NON PROFIT ORGANISATION
Category	D04. Spatial & Sculptural Exhibitions and Experiences
Entrant	N=5 Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Idea Creation	N=5 Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Media Placement	DE MEDIA MAATSCHAP Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
PR	N=CONTENT Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production	N=5 Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Production 2	DIMARCO Leiden, THE NETHERLANDS
Additional Company	AIDSFONDS - SOA AIDS NEDERLAND Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS

Name	Company	Position
Carsten van Berkel	N=5	Concept creator
Stefan Leendertse	N=5	Concept creator
Thijs Bontje	N=5	Creative Director
Daniel te Lindert	N=5	Creative Director
Bastiaan Weers	N=5	Strategy Director
Judith Lavalette	N=5	Head of Account
Hans Dekker	N=5	Agency Producer
Casper Reus	N=5	Producer
Lotte de Rooij	N=5	Producer
Mariska Franssen	N=5	Producer
Louise Mahler	N=5	Account Manager
Branda Rangel	N=5	Account Manager
Sander Kruit	N=5	Graphic Designer
Ronald van Vemden	Toonafish	Production
Daniel van der Zon	Dimarco productrealisation	Producer

Background

In the Netherlands, the battle against AIDS is steadily advancing. Medical treatments and precautionary medicines are mainstream; helping prevent new infections and deaths. But this perception of positivity and control, reinforced by what is published in the media, has taken the focus off a disease that has claimed the lives of millions of people worldwide. It’s stopping the Dutch public from supporting the ongoing fight against the disease and even affects government funding. By showing the harsh reality of the AIDS epidemic, we can create renewed awareness for people, organisations, and governments, and give new purpose to future fundraising efforts. Our brief was to make a bold statement—to reveal the horrifying truths. We did this, not by using 40year old, clichéd imagery, but by stepping away from stereotypes to update the story. This campaign was executed on a concept and production budget of €66,000, and a media budget of €399,000.

Describe the creative idea (40% of vote)

On December 1st, World AIDS Day, the same day the UN released updated statistics on the disease, we unveiled a new monument in the centre of Amsterdam. A monument that would make these cold, hard facts tangible and emotional. A 3D printed, bright pink statue of a lady crying tears at the same tempo lives are lost to AIDS—every 40 seconds. This poignant statue stood in a pond filled with 32 million tears. One for every victim so far. The central idea of an integrated campaign, the statue was supported by DOOH screens throughout the city centre, which also communicated the message and drove awareness and traffic to our installation. A TV-commercial and online advertising led people to the Aidsfonds website, while micro-targeted social ads and stories showed the real people behind the tears in the form of short documentaries.

Describe the execution (40% of vote)

Created using a 3D printer, the statue was built with integrated tracks to allow a natural flow of tears. We chose to represent the female based on the fact that Aids is still the number 1 cause of death amongst women under 50, and the final colour choice was reached by three deciding factors. 1. Aids doesn't see colour, culture or creed, so our statue had to be neutral to keep full focus on the epidemic 2. We wanted to create maximum impact and visibility. 3. Pink was considered an eye-catching, highly photogenic colour that was working well in campaign mock-ups.

List the results (20% of vote)

The statue received nationwide media coverage across all media channels, and all major national media titles reported on it. The integrated campaign had a major effect on all relevant brand associations, increasing the relevance and value of the Aidsfonds brand. During the campaign, the Aidsfonds also saw a 53% increase in organic search volume and site visits quintupled. Even though the willingness to donate to NGOs is on the decline, the campaign was able to break this trend—increasing online donations by a massive +80% (vs. 2018).