Cassies 2009 Cases

Cassies 2009 Cases
Brand/Case: RecycleMe.org Campaign
Winner: Events, Seasonal & Short-Term—Gold
Client Credits: Trillium Gift of Life Network
Frank Markel, President & CEO
Versha Prakash, Vice President, Operations
Sandra Fawcett, Director, Communications & Public Affairs
Carrie Hoto, Public Affairs and Communications
Mary Ellen Armstrong, Communications Advisor
Wendy Walters, Director of Social Marketing
Karyn Hyjek, Social Marketing Consultant
Agency Credits: Narrative Advocacy Media and Mighty Digital,
Divisions of Bensimon Byrne
Narrative Advocacy Media
Amanda Alvaro, Managing Director
Lindsay Mattick-Davidson, Director of PR
Natali Tofiloski, Account Supervisor
Mighty Digital
Nitsa Staikos-Sills, Account Director
Jon Toews, Creative Director,
Ulyssis Crisostomo, Senior Interactive Art Director
John Czikk, Copywriter
Matthew Corway, Interactive Developer
Bensimon Byrne
David Rosenberg, Sr. VP, Creative Director
Troy Palmer, Associate Creative Director,
Mike Lee, Associate Creative Director
Tatania Tucker, Media Director
Thomas Shadoff, Associate Media Director
Jennifer Gallinger, Media Planner
Crossover Notes: All winning cases contain lessons that cross over from one case to another.
David Rutherford has been identifying these as Crossover Notes since Cassies1997. The full set
for Cassies 2009 can be downloaded from the Case Library section at www.cassies.ca
Crossover
Crossover
Crossover
Crossover
Note
Note
Note
Note
2.
10.
22.
24.
Brand Truths.
Conventional Wisdom—should it be challenged?
Humour in a Serious Category.
Tough Topics.
To see creative, go to the Case Library Index and click on the additional links beside the case.
2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Results Period (Consecutive Months):
Start of Advertising/Communication Effort:
Base Period for Comparison:
April 2009 – July 2009
April 20, 2009
April 2008 – July 2008
a) Synopsis of the Case
“Talking about death now is like asking me in grade 5 what
I’m going to do in college.” - 20 year-old female
When we’re young, we believe we’re invincible. We live life day-to-day, concerned
about finding summer jobs, dating, which college or university we will attend and which
career path to choose. With so much life to think about, there’s little time devoted to the
contemplation of death. Not surprisingly, organ and tissue donation (OTD) is a remote
consideration. Healthy young Ontarians are spending a lot of time thinking, they’re just
not thinking about becoming a donor. Crossover Note 24.
Despite the fact that OTD is off the youth radar, the ability to save lives depends on a
new generation of Ontarians making the choice to donate a new societal norm. Without
the engagement of youth, Ontario is at risk of perpetuating the dismal statistics associated
with transplantation - every three days in Ontario a person dies while waiting for an
organ transplant. As of April 1st, 2009, there were nearly 1,700 Ontarians on the waiting
list, and only 17% of Ontarians over the age of 16 were registered as donors.
Early in our research, we found that young Ontarians knew very little about the need for
donors. Our goal was to get youth thinking, talking and mobilized around organ donation
so that they could make an informed decision about becoming a donor, and become
ambassadors for the cause.
We engaged youth at every level of strategic and creative development. We learned to
speak in their vernacular, intimately understood their media habits and ultimately
produced a campaign that would inspire, provoke and motivate. The Trillium Gift of Life
Network’s RecycleMe.org campaign is a work of collaboration with youth, for youth.
The campaign, which launched April 2009 and ran for thirteen weeks, included transit
shelter ads, interior bus ads, wild postings, social media, public relations and online
banner ads, all driving to an immersive and interactive website that balanced education
with entertainment. Early results point to the fact that we’ve started to make headway by
convincing the invincible that they have the power—by becoming a donor—to save lives.
3
b) Summary of Business Results
RecycleMe.org is Trillium Gift of Life Network’s (TGLN) most successful campaign to
date. Launching April 20th 2009, the campaign has been extensively covered by both
national and provincial news media, resulting in over sixty unique stories and a total
reach surpassing nineteen million. The most promising indication of success is that the
downloads of donor registration forms increased by over 400 per cent versus the same
period a year ago—moving from a total of 2,180 to 11,244.1
With a media budget of only $403,063, and in a limited timeframe, this campaign has not
only put the issue of OTD on youth’s radar, it will help reduce Ontario’s transplantation
wait list and save lives.
SITUATION ANALYSIS
a) Overall Assessment
In December 2000, the Ontario government formed the Trillium Gift of Life Network to
manage organ and tissue donation in the province. TGLN was posed with the challenge
of significantly increasing organ and tissue donation across Ontario. By 2007, the
government announced plans to increase spending in order to boost rates in Ontario and
generate greater public awareness and education amongst adults and particularly youth.
To date, nearly 1,700 Ontarians are on the wait list for an organ transplant and one person
on that list dies every three days.
Despite the fact that over 80 per cent of Ontarians think giving consent to donate upon
death is an important thing to do, only 17 per cent of those over the age of 16 (the legal
age to consent) have registered as a donor. And, while over 64 per cent of Ontarians
perceive there to be a shortfall of available organs for transplantation, that perception is
not translating into meaningful awareness and action.
Youth present an even greater challenge, with OTD barely on their radar, and a variety of
misconceptions and myths clouding their ability to make an informed decision.
To compound the issue, adults and youth alike reported very low levels of awareness of
TGLN as the organization responsible for organ and tissue donation in Ontario.
Our challenge was to find a way to build awareness of TGLN and the issue of OTD in a
compelling and provocative way—to ultimately engage youth and increase the number of
Ontarians who consent to become donors.
1French
registration form downloads were not available during the same period year ago.
4
At the same time, the launch came during a tumultuous period for TGLN, as the ‘Baby
Kaylee’ case at Sick Kids’ Hospital garnered worldwide attention. While questions were
being raised about the ethical guidelines surrounding OTD, concern was being expressed that
launching a bold and provocative youth-focused campaign during this time could backfire.
Despite the heated environment, however, the campaign launched as scheduled and early
results indicate strong uptake, with widespread positive earned media coverage to boot.
b) Resulting Business Objectives
The overarching objective was to raise awareness of the critical need for organ and tissue
donors amongst youth. Our research showed that young Ontarians took the decision to
become a donor very seriously. They wanted concrete information and time to consider
the facts before deciding whether or not to register as donors. As the launch neared, firm
objectives were established. They included driving 115,000 unique visitors to the website
and getting 5,750 registration form downloads during the thirteen week campaign.
c) Budget Range/Share of Voice
These hefty goals were set despite a tight budget. With only $403K for media, $180K for
the website, and $27K for public relations, breakthrough effort would be needed.
STRATEGY & INSIGHT
a) Analysis and Insight
As of early 2009, young Ontarians were not only oblivious to what was involved with
OTD—from who can donate to how to register to be a donor—they were also unaware
that a provincial organization had jurisdiction and mandate over the process. Instead of
being able to access a trusted resource for information, they relied on their gut reactions,
wives’ tales and myths about OTD. Crossover Note 2. The perpetuation of false
information was having a dramatic impact on the number of young Ontarians who were
making the choice to become donors.
“If the doctor knows I’m a donor, he won’t try hard
enough to save me.” – 17 year-old male
To have a viable chance of increasing registration rates, it was crucial to get young
Ontarians thinking and talking about the need for donors and to educate them in a
compelling way. Youth are, and always have been, the early adopters of revolutionary
behaviour. From the 1960s anti-war marches to today’s green movement, youth are the
driving force behind social change. We wanted to tap into that inherent desire.
Research revealed that despite low awareness of OTD and TGLN, once provoked, youth
were open to the topic. While focus group participants initially focused on the myths
surrounding OTD, the more they learned about the issue, the more they wanted to know.
It was obvious that the mere opportunity to debate and converse about the issue led to
more serious consideration about consenting to donate. The groups also revealed some of
the most compelling and persuasive areas of OTD to explore.
5
Getting on the youth radar was our greatest challenge. We had to listen to what stuck, and
needed to talk to youth in the way they spoke to each other. We also needed to create
messages and imagery that were so provoking that youth were captivated enough to
explore the issue in more depth.
In order to think like a young Ontarian, we decided to create a youth advisory panel
composed of students aged 17 - 24. We uncovered a selfless and very involved audience,
who find satisfaction in giving back to their communities. Most participate in charity
races or get their hands dirty through tutoring, volunteering at soup kitchens, or even
building homes with Habitat for Humanity.
“I think it feels good if it came from your heart” – 15 year-old female
“By giving back to the community, I feel empowered and part of a group …
It’s energizing!” – 24 year-old male
We tapped into empowerment as an important goal for this generation—the power to
persuade and make a difference. And, in this case, to save lives.
b) Communication Strategy
With such a small media budget we needed to ensure the campaign had more than just
impact – it had to shock young Ontarians to take action.
The strategy built on the notion of empowerment—specifically the power to make a
difference—and attacked some of the misconceptions that young Ontarians believed
about OTD. When we had four creative concepts that we thought were worth pursuing
the youth panel helped us decide on the final campaign – RecycleMe.org.
Rather than take a traditional approach, RecycleMe.org asks young people to consider the
ultimate act of 'recycling’, a cause youth are receptive to. Crossover Note 10.
We also made sure the campaign hooked the audience by using the following elements:
1. Entertainment – the advertising had to be captivating, lifelike and provocative,
combining humour and irreverence. Crossover Note 22.
2. Unique media – we explored a variety of innovative twists – like placing a realistic
looking model heart between the two panes of glass of a transit shelter, or posting
‘wanted posters’ for organs guerilla style, and faux grand opening signs of organ
retail outlets called ‘Kidney Depot’. We also used social and earned media.
3. Engaging website – the entire campaign drove to RecycleMe.org, a site that would be
full of information delivered in an unexpected fashion—forums for debate, videos of
real-life transplants, and a massive ‘join the movement’ involvement area.
6
Finally, our strategy focused on “the way in” – a four-step approach. It included:
•
•
•
•
The “Huh?” moment – creative that made youth stop in their tracks
Why organ donation? – narrative that hooked and engaged the audience
Why me? – an argument for joining the movement and becoming a donor
How do I do it? – all the tools necessary to make involvement simple and accessible
CREATIVE EXECUTION
We used graphic images of organs to create the stop in your tracks desired effect and
coupled those images with the compelling tagline that appeared on all creative:
“IF ORGANS AND TISSUE WERE THIS EASY TO FIND,
WE WOULDN’T NEED DONORS – RECYCLEME.ORG”
We delivered on the panel’s request for realism, cold hard facts and irreverent humour to
capture attention and engage in a thought-provoking way. Ultimately, the creative had
one goal – to cut through the clutter of advertising consumed daily and provoke them to
check out the website, recycleme.org. It accomplished that goal in spades.
RecycleMe.org – The Website
The website balances education and entertainment. It includes inspirational testimonials
from youth and adults who have had personal experiences with organ and tissue donation,
raw video footage that features actual transplants, and a discussion forum for youth to
share their opinions on OTD with their peers.
7
In addition to the option of downloading a registration form, the website gives youth the
chance to join the movement and pledge their support for organ and tissue donation. The
site also allows visitors to learn about OTD and the process of transplantation by clicking
on the narrator, ‘Ben’, to open up his chest cavity and explore the role of each organ.
To drive youth to the website, we used intrigue to inspire curiosity, with a mix of online,
interior transit, transit shelter ads along with wild postings.
Online Banner Ads – April 20, 2009 – July 12, 2009
These ads ran on sites popular with youth, from social
networking sites like Facebook and Skyrock, to gaming and
entertainment sites.
They drove over 116,000 unique visitors to the site over the
course of thirteen weeks.
The creative mirrored the transit campaign and the website,
with the ‘Stitch and Peel’ ad being slightly more effective due
to its shocking nature.
Transit Campaign – April 20, 2009 – June 14, 2009
When our youth panel told us that they wanted reality in the ad campaign, we gave them
what they wanted. But with a twist. We relied on graphic imagery using real organs and
bold designs to grab young Ontarians and compel them to visit the website.
8
To create even further impact in the Toronto market only, we created a realistic-looking
molded heart and placed it between the two panes of glass in transit shelters with the
campaign message along the bottom.
9
Wildpostings – April 27, 2009 – May 24, 2009
Wildpostings ran in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton. They were created for impact, but
also acted as yet another reminder to visit the website and to begin to seriously consider
becoming a donor.
Posters fashioned along ‘Wanted’ and ‘For Sale’ signs were plastered in high traffic areas
frequented by youth.
We also employed large-scale ‘Opening Soon’ postings in front of abandoned buildings
and store-fronts for lease.
These signs have been the surprise hit of the campaign. In the Facebook group and on
various blogs, we have seen numerous positive responses.
10
Launch Event – April 20, 2009
We knew the ad campaign had the power to be controversial, so we took a proactive
approach and hosted an original media event inspired by the bold transit ads.
Media were invited to the grand opening of a faux ‘Heart Barn’ retail outlet in downtown
Toronto on the morning of April 20th. Inside the ‘store’ we displayed the provocative
transit ads and had laptop stations set up for students and media to navigate the website.
Hosted by a member of the youth advisory panel, guests at the grand opening were
treated to speeches by the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, TGLN President &
CEO Frank Markel, and everyday Ontarians who had been affected by OTD – people like
18 year-old Jaynel White. Jaynel’s father passed away after making the courageous
decision to become a donor while still on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
The event was a hit with media. Coverage included CTV, CBC, The Globe & Mail and
The Toronto Star. Within the first week alone there were over 14,000 hits on the website
and almost 2,000 registration forms were downloaded.
Social Media – April 20, 2009 (Ongoing)
We developed a RecycleMe.org Facebook page and a Liver On Twitter account to
encourage further dialogue about OTD, and to highlight key updates in the campaign to
increase awareness and registrations.
The RecycleMe.org Facebook page has over 2,600 devoted fans and maintains a healthy
amount of controversy with discussions ranging from live donation to whether those
unwilling to register should be eligible to receive transplants.
11
We also developed a storyline for our Twitter hero Liver_On, who is caught in a love
affair with Lady Pancreas until that fateful day they were separated when part of
Liver_On was transplanted to save someone’s life.
MEDIA EXECUTION
This was a challenge given the limited budget, so we needed to take a great creative idea
and make it bigger and bolder.
We expanded on the idea of a fake retail outlet, sourcing low cost ways to create the
illusion that these stores were going to be opening soon. This made the rest of the
campaign seem bigger, as we now had a brick and mortar centrepiece. As noted, we also
used transit and wild postings, and a variety of online tactics.
12
BUSINESS RESULTS
With the launch of RecycleMe.org, TGLN opened Ontarians’ eyes to the dire need for
organ and tissue donors and established the beginning of a movement amongst youth
towards supporting OTD.
From April 20th, 2009 to July 14th, 2009 there have been 11,244 registration form
downloads, over a 400% increase vs. same period year ago (2,180 registration form
downloads1 from April 20th, 2008 – July 14th, 2008).
Additionally, the campaign surpassed a number of its goals:
-
118,591 unique visitors went to the website, versus the goal of 115,000
Over 4,000 Ontarians have joined the movement on the website
There have been 10,056 video views to-date
We have developed active Twitter followers and an engaged fan base on the
Facebook RecycleMe.org page. It continues to amass posts relating to OTD
The online media buy delivered over 200 million impressions, 125,000 clicks and
an average cost per click at just over $1.00
The public relations campaign was a resounding success. Media outreach conducted over
the three weeks starting April 20th resulted in a total reach of 19,094,738 with a cost per
contact of $0.002—as calculated by Media Relations Ratings Point (MRP), the Canadian
standard for evaluating and reporting editorial media coverage.
This PR campaign resulted in over 60 stories across the province, including coverage by
CTV, CBC Windsor, Ottawa Sun, Globe & Mail, Global-TV and Metro News. Even as
the advertising campaign came to a close, it continued to be picked up by bloggers across
the province, and production houses wanted to include footage of the campaign in
Canadian-produced documentaries relating to organ and tissue donation.
13
CAUSE & EFFECT BETWEEN ADVERTISING AND RESULTS
Youth are faced with a barrage of messages on a daily basis and they tune out what they
do not want to hear.
Measurements of engagement on the website and thought-provoking posts on the
Facebook page suggest that RecycleMe.org is well on its way to accomplishing the
primary goal of the campaign – to put the topic of organ and tissue donation on the radar
for youth. The huge rise in downloaded forms is an encouraging sign that the message of
needing more donors is resonating with young Ontarians and that the movement is
growing.