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Non-profit marketers and charities face quite the challenge, when it comes to promoting their cause in a proper manner and encouraging people to volunteer, donate and support their cause further. While raising awareness and creating only positive associations might not be an easy job, some nonprofits have however managed to stand out and to obtain the desired results by making smart decisions in the advertising department. Because organizations rely on donation to keep functioning and continue making an impact, each detail needs to be thought through with care, and it seems like the following campaigns have received most appreciation, obtaining impressive outcomes in terms of increasing recall:
1. UNICEF Sweden – “Likes don’t save lives”
UNICEF Sweden has had a powerful impact with its 2013 campaign that aimed to determine social media users to do more than just share and like certain posts circulating on the web, which had as theme various issues across the globe. UNICEF tried to increase users’ involvement. Self-realization was the ultimate goal of this campaign, and it seems that it has actually worked well in helping people understand that a simple like or post share won’t have any effect in contributing to a cause’s remediation. The organization created four videos with a powerful message in this direction that were shared on social media channels. These didn’t take long to gain the desired attention and so any donations were obtained that more than 600,000 people were vaccinated against polio with the gathered amount.
2. Save the Children – UK’s video chronicles
UK charities understood that it might be difficult for people truly relate to things that are happening on the other side of the world. Contributors were thus presented with a situation that visually explained what a child living in Western Europe would experience in the same position as children living in Syria. The visual representation of the girl’s world being torn apparent, her life events going from a joyful birthday to sitting in a hospital. With more than 50 million views and shares, contributors were touched by the sensitive metaphor and numerous donations were gathered by Save the Children – charity that supports children in 120 countries.
3. La Trobe University – Australia
Collaborating with Creative Solutions, a popular marketing agency based in Australia, this Australian charity developed a convincing campaign that aimed to increase awareness among the community regarding the importance of Parkinson disease research. The ad shows the power of the least taken into account therapy method, and that is dancing. Placing 3 digital screens across town, featuring Anne, Parkinson sufferer, inviting passer-bys to join her to a quick dance. When the performance stopped, viewers were presented with succinct formation on the condition. This campaign has got many locals dancing, and donations were actually raised in a short amount of time.
4. CoorDown
Expecting mothers that have just found out their unborn infant suffers from Down Syndrome deal with the emotional question of what will her baby’s life look like? The CoorDown charity release a short film that provided parents with an answer. The video consists of 15 children with this specific disease, each one of them giving their own answer. With more than 7 million views, the video has had the desired effect, obtaining donations through Giving Assistant shopping, and other means of financial support.
5. org.uk and Lauren Luke
Portraying a message based on shock to catch viewers’ attention, Refuge’s campaign had as purpose to lower the rate of women dealing with abuse in their household. The video showed Lauren Luke acting as a YouTube influencer doing a makeup tutorial on how to hide bruises. Luke collaborated with this charity to raise awareness regarding domestic violence, and managed to obtain more than 130 million views.
6. Sandy Hook Promise
This charity was put together after the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2014. It offers programs for families whose children have went through this sort of shocking event. The organization brought to the audience a PSA video that conveyed the message from a different angle. With the title Evan, the short film shows that the shooter was present in the scene all along, but no one had noticed him nor the warning signs.
7. SOS Children’s village Norway
This international charity released a video ad that manage to trigger empathy among the audience, and thus increase its number of contributors. Having the purposes of the charity in mind, alternative care for children who aren’t living with their biological families, the video shows a child who is cold and alone and the lack of involvement from passer-by’s – the message is emotional and powerful.
8. Plan Belgium
With the help of talented artist Mandy Smith, Plan Belgium aimed to underline the subject of forced body mutilation in a clever way. Paper was used to create different body parts, which were photographed and published in local magazine. The role was to raise awareness regarding the topic of female genital mutilation, and although shocking, the campaign reached amazing effects.
9. Truth
Fighting to lower the number of smokers, and stand against this bad and dangerous habit entirely, Truth created a visual campaign to show and dismiss the disillusions liked to social smoking. Partnering with both Instagram and Vine, and using the hashtag Belike, Truth showed the difference between the illusion of social smoking and the ugly reality.
10. Charity:Water
With a video that managed to take the viewer into a small Ethiopian city, this nonprofit illustrated with the help of virtual reality, a family’s reaction when accessing clean water for the first time. The fundraising success this advertising campaign brought, together with the increased awareness has allowed this organization to continue expanding their cause.
These are the marketing campaigns that stand out the most among non-profit organization, due to their originality and effectiveness in reaching the targeted audience. Those that have an interest in supporting good causes and thus making a difference in the community have become aware of the purposes of different charities thanks to the attention these organizations have actually put in advertising their purpose.