It seems that the days of hard-hitting campaigns about Aids/HIV are over. In this post three recent examples from Europe. Keywords: User Generated, Flashmob and Responsibility.

The video above is about a project from Milan Italy: World of Mouth against HIV.
Aim is to make people aware of the need to use condoms in order to limit the spread of HIV.
It is user generated. Visitors are ask to send a picture following the theme of the campaign, a condom has to be placed on your tongue.
Photo’s will be published on the campaign website and the best photo’s will be part of a traveling exhibition.
WOM against HIV on: Twitter, Facebook, Flickr.

The second campaign is from the French Sidaction. Sidaction started as a public event in 1994 in France for raising awareness and collecting charitable funds for AIDS. They donate important sums to AIDS charities, AIDS research, institutions specializing in medical care and social aid for those suffering of HIV/AIDS in France and internationally.

The French organisation Sidaction is doing it’s fundraising campaign this year guided with the video above. And at the online donation form visitors can see what is happening with their donation (see below).

Un jour, nous vaincrons le sida. Soutenons la recherche.
Faites un don au 110 ou sur www.sidaction.org, du 3 mars au 11 avril
One day, we defeat AIDS. Support research.
Donate to 110 or www.sidaction.org, March 3 to April 11

The third campaign is called The Condom Mob. It is from CESVI, a humanitarian, solidarity NGO from Italy. A enormous condom was placed in front of the university of Milan and Genoa in the beginning of December 2009.
It was a bet, CESVI wants to get more than 100 students into the condom. And it was successful. With this bet the raised funds for the fight against aids/HIV in Zimbabwe.

The choice of doing this mob in front of a university was on purpose: approximately 45% of newly infected with HIV are young people between 15 and 24 years.

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Marc van Gurp is the founder of Osocio which examines the world of advertising in the social change/non-profit landscape. Marc resides in Amsterdam.

For me this is the most shocking visual used in a campaign lately. Not only because I experienced the subject in my friends network but also it is about a forgotten group in our society, the elderly.

“Over 50% of all suicides are committed by senior citizens.”

This ad is from Adam LeAdam, the charity for the elderly in Israel and is made by Shimoni Finkelstein Draftfcb.
Because the ad is hard-hitting style I placed the ad after the break.

According to suicide.org elderly suicide (age 65 and older) comprise about 13% of the U.S. population, they account for over 18% of all suicides. The most common cause for elderly suicide, as for all suicides, is untreated depression. But also the feeling of a completed and finished life.
An untreated depression can be cured and prevention is important. A completed life needs support.

That is what’s happening in this ad. It isn’t about prevention, neither about suicide support. No choice is made. The only call to action is naming the charity.

What do you think: is it a good decision not to make a choice?

Agency:
Shimoni Finkelstein Draftfcb,Tel Aviv, Israel
Additional credits:
Executive Creative Director: Kobi Barki
Creative Director: Ori Ganot
Art Director: Eldad Levi
Copywriter: Kobi Barki
Photographer: Menahem Reiss

This video is from last year from the same charity and ad agency.
The focus is on the subject that elderly suicide is often unseen.

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Marc van Gurp is the founder of Osocio which examines the world of advertising in the social change/non-profit landscape. Marc resides in Amsterdam.

This video is from the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT, USA). The video shows a reverse filmed accident caused by drunk driving.
I’ve seen that before. I found five other campaign video’s made with the same technique. See them after the break.

The NMDOT advertising campaign coincides with the SuperBlitz which runs throughout the holiday season, beginning on Friday, November 20, 2009 through January 3, 2010.
The Winter Superblitz is an important one because it overlaps with the holidays. Statistics show that alcohol is often a factor in holiday crashes; during last year’s Winter SuperBlitz, 54 people lost their lives in crashes, 19 of those involved drinking and driving.
During the Winter Superblitz the anti-drunk driving campaign will run on TV, radio and billboards.

Examples from the past

The used technique, reverse filming, is often used. The campaign from NMDOT isn’t very original but in this case I don’t mind. It is a good way showing that all traffic accidents have a cause.

TAC / 2008 (Transport Accident Commission Australia)

Rådet for større færdselssikkerhed / 2007 (Danish Road Safety Council)

Think! / 2006 (Department for Transport, UK)

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Marc van Gurp is the founder of Osocio which examines the world of advertising in the social change/non-profit landscape. Marc resides in Amsterdam.

The Canadian Cancer Society, a national community-based organization of volunteers, launched a new campaign called Join the Fight.
Developed by DDB Canada, the campaign creative features emotional, unrehearsed testimonials from real “fighters” – people living with cancer, as well as from their family members and friends.

The first two video’s as shown in this post are made in a typical style of storytelling which is a sign of the time we live in now. With faster internet connections and better computers video’s become longer. These two video’s are made for online presence only. The lenght of online video is non-independent from expensive rates on television. The creative work made for the Canadian Cancer Society is one of the best examples right now.

“Every day, millions of Canadians show their fighting spirit in inspiring ways. From bravely fighting back against cancer, to funding research, or advocating for public policies that will protect the health of all Canadians, they exemplify the many ways you can fight back,” says Andrew Simon, SVP, creative director, DDB Canada, Toronto. “This spirit is captured in the campaign by using people who are actually affected by cancer; none of them are actors. The resulting testimonials are incredibly raw and real and the tone is extremely personal.”

The gripping short film entitled “Fight” (see above) is taking this creative approach a step further and onto YouTube and Facebook. “Fight” features a variety of real “fighters” (not actors) in different settings talking to cancer – as if it was a real person. The unrehearsed responses are passionate examples of how the campaign transforms the range of emotions that cancer causes into a powerful collective resolve to fight.

The French-language version of “Fight” (see below) has another group of “fighters” seated like an extended family around a large dinner table. The men, women and children gathered take turns berating an unseen, uninvited person – cancer. Together, these people share the reasons why they fight cancer and dramatically reveal their determination never to give up the battle against it.
Both versions of “Fight” end with the call to action: “Every three minutes another Canadian is faced with fighting Cancer. Join the fight.”

Radar DDB, the social media marketing division of DDB Canada, will be using “Fight” to draw attention to the “Join the Fight” movement in various social media forums. Additionally, “Fight” was previewed as a trailer at the popular Vancouver International Film Festival.

The print and radio elements of the campaign also use the same unusual and impactful technique of talking to cancer or personifying it to deliver the message and direct people back to www.fightback.ca.

Two 30-second TV PSAs are also hitting the airwaves. Entitled “Nurse” and “Scars” they take a slightly different approach, again using real cancer survivors to tell the story. In “Nurse,” a man’s hands are being bandaged in a hospital room. The fit, grim patient has the appearance of a boxer and he stoically taps his fists together like a boxer would before a match. The other PSA, “Scars,” has an unscripted group of cancer survivors at a coffee shop talking and comparing their scars to help show that more people are surviving cancer than ever before. Both ads deliver cancer statistics and call on Canadians to join the fight by visiting the campaign website.

More campaign material here.
One of the print ads:

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Marc van Gurp is the founder of Osocio which examines the world of advertising in the social change/non-profit landscape. Marc resides in Amsterdam.

Two campaigns about Diabetes, each made for a different audience and therefore a different approach.

The first one is the video above (NSFW). Made by Serve Marketing and is meant to go viral.
This is a web-only PSA designed to catch parents off guard and let them know about the devastating consequences of diabetes and encourage them to find out the steps they can take to help prevent it.
The campaign is running during November, which is American Diabetes Month, also contains a website Diabetes Is No Picnic.
“Everyone is aware of diabetes, but few people understand how devastating the disease can be,” explains Serve Founder, Gary Mueller on why his organization took such a provocative approach in their communications on this issue. “We believe people need a wake-up call on this issue. If we want people to change their unhealthy behaviors,  they need to see this disease in a different light. We need to make people uncomfortable with their inaction.  Focusing on educating  people about the devastating consequences of diabetes is the best way  to do that.”

Half The Care

The second campaign is made by Better World Advertising for New York State Health Foundation. Entitled “Half The Care” is running as print ads in medical journals and internet collateral, (including a website) and the target audience is Doctors. The campaign is running state-wide in New York, where Type 2 Diabetes rates are shockingly high, and patients are receiving less than half the quality of care they do in other U.S. states. This is especially remarkable because New Yorkers like to think they are so ahead of the curve in areas like education, healthcare and other social policies. The Health Foundation is also producing some educational collateral to give to doctors to assist their approach to patients who have or are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes.

“Diabetes is a life-altering disease, and patients first line of defense against its devastating complications is their doctors. We have a critical responsibility to ensure that people get the care they need to live a full life,”said Neil Calman, MD, family physician, President of the Institute for Family Health, and Campaign Director. Pointing to the fact that the number of New Yorkers with diabetes could fill Yankee Stadium more than 34 times, he added, “We play a role in this figure, and we can do better. When doctors provide proper treatment and care, we can save lives, organs, limbs, and vision. These ads are designed to connect clinicians with the resources and support they need to do exactly that.”

“Because of the flood of patients and the complexity of treating diabetes, many providers are overwhelmed,” said Wanda Montalvo, RN, MSN, Clinical Director of the Campaign. “We are partnering with the state’s leading medical professional and health care trade associations to provide training, technical assistance, and support to help physicians provide the best care possible.” The Campaign, for a limited time, is paying the fees for providers to participate in national programs that recognize physicians and nurse practitioners as “diabetes providers of excellence.”

More campaign images here.

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Marc van Gurp is the founder of Osocio which examines the world of advetising in the social change/non-profit landscape. Marc resides in Amsterdam.

Hey folks, another great opportunity to learn about how social media can be put to use in developing your next social marketing strategy! And for those of you who aren’t in the public health or social marketing spaces, make sure to understand what kind of social marketing we are talking about here.

My colleague, mentor and friend – Nedra Weinreich of Weinreich Communications is once again imparting her extensive knowledge on the social media landscape for the important work that we do. Most recently, she gave us lessons on how to make social marketing more effective. In the coming months of October and November, Nedra provides another opportunity to sharpen your marketing skills with the Social Media for Social Marketers Series.

From the site:

Why attend Social Marketing University Online?

• You will receive an intensive training in the fundamentals of social media that you can start to apply to your program immediately.
• SMU Online is an opportunity to learn from Nedra Weinreich, a noted expert who has worked in the field for many years, and benefit from her experience.
• Attend from anywhere – at work, home or on the road, even from outside the United States.
• Participation in the webinars is easy! All you need is an internet connection (no software to download) and a phone line (toll-free from the US/Canada). You can even connect to the audio through your computer using Skype for free.
• You will have access to the webinar recording to review as many times as you like at your convenience.

Spread the word and sign up – you definitely will get your money’s worth.

About a year and a half ago, I came upon a very creative and interactive anti-smoking campaign aimed at youth called Rage Against the Haze. It was headed up by the smart folks over at Brains on Fire – a leading word of mouth marketing/identity development agency. After I read a little more and discovered how awesome a campaign this was for youth, I did what any other person who loves giving credit where credit is due – I wrote an email to Brains on Fire. In the email I let them know how much I enjoyed reading up on Rage Against the Haze and gave them kudos.

A short time later I received an email back from Spike Jones (who does alot of the blogging) letting me know that a creatively brilliant guy, Matt Geib, was the lead on that campaign.

Matt was the Cause Crusader at Brains on Fire, a national identity company that specializes in turning companies into movements.  He was intimately involved in Rage Against the Haze – South Carolina’s youth led anti-tobacco use movement.  Through his leadership and involvement, RAGE has been recognized for its accomplishments in the creative, strategic and effectiveness realms.  In 2007, RAGE received a WOMMIE award from the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) alongside Coke and Yahoo! as a best practice in word of mouth effectiveness and, more importantly, sustainability.  Also, South Carolina has enjoyed one of the largest drops in teen smoking rates with the RAGE program (19.1%), despite it having one of the smallest budgets in the country for youth tobacco prevention.  That’s with no mass media, and no tax increase on cigarettes.

Since then, Matt and I connected and have exchanged messages mainly through Twitter. Although he is no longer with Brains on Fire, I had to interview Matt and get his thoughts on a few things – preserving the genius of the campaign and hopefully giving you all ideas for other youth focused public health initiatives.

P+S: How did you/the team come up with the idea for Rage Against the Haze? What was your role?

MG: My role in creating RAGE was nonexistent (since it was created before I came aboard the movement). Here’s a “run down” in how Rage Against the Haze came about. In 2002 South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) noticed the problem, 36% of high schoolers were smokers and more than 11,000 more were becoming addict each year. SCDHEC received funding to change things by providing tobacco use prevention activities throughout South Carolina. SCDHEC came to Brains on Fire, a Naming and Identity firm in Greenville (the company I used to work for), to develop these prevention based activities.

So Brains on Fire gathered some teens and adults in a room to come up with the name for the Movement. The teens shut down because the adults were trying to take the reins. Finally Geno, from Brains on Fire, noticed this happening. He gathered all the adults and kicked them out. He brought in pizza and locked the doors… Then the magic happened. The teens started naming themselves. They came up with Rage Against the Haze. They selected “Haze” to represent the efforts to get them addicted. And “RAGE” to represent how they felt about it. Next they created a mission.

The Rage Against the Haze Mission: To empower teens with self-confidence and knowledge so they might become the influencers of their generation, spreading the anti-tobacco use message, peer to peer, throughout South Carolina, much like a virus would spread.

My role once I came on board was to be a community manager. I set up RAGE events/training, contacted teens and went out public speaking in schools.

P+S: How effective was this campaign among the target audience?

MG: In 2001 the state of South Carolina had 36% of high schoolers smoking. Since the creation of RAGE, the rate of teens smoking has come down from 36% to 19% in South Carolina. Since its beginning, RAGE has grown to over 6,000 teens (last counted in 2008) that were involved with the movement. This Movement was so successful due to the fact that the teens owned it. With youth in control, the movement would maintain a very personal, very grassroots identity. The messaging would remain between peers, and help them learn the truth about the dangers of tobacco use.

P+S: Coming from a traditional marketing/branding agency perspective, how important are these social marketing campaigns and how do you see them evolving in the future?

MG: I see this type of marketing campaign as essential and here’s why: If a brand or company decides to let their customers take ownership of the product they will see a huge return. Think about it like this; If someone is passionate about your product or brand they will share it with all their friends or at least tell them about the experience they had. And if these loyal customers are doing this for free because they feel ownership, well, that’s free marketing.

P+S: In your experience – what do you think were the elements of the campaign that made it successful?

MG: This movement was successful was because it gave teens a voice, it gave them power and it let them have a soap box to stand on. Teens don’t want to be told what to do or not to do by adults, however, if one of their peers tells them truth about tobacco they will be more likely to listen and change their behavior. Think about it, if someone you don’t know tells you about a movie and that is it bad… you might not believe them since you don’t have a history with them. But if one of your close friends tells you not to see that movie… you won’t waste your money.

P+S: Smoking is still a public health problem here in the US and abroad, what do you think public health professionals should keep in mind when wanting to design creative, interactive and engaging anti-smoking campaigns for youth?

MG: Just that, ENGAGE TEENS. If you want to create something authentic and give power to the teens to spread the truth, you have to be willing to let go of the reins. You’ll be very surprised what teens can do when you let them have control of a movement.

Here’s some video footage of the campaign:

Thanks so much Matt for sharing some insight on the effectiveness of the campaign and for making it happen!

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Continuing with my upload of great interviews with public health professionals from the recent CDC Health Communication, Marketing and Media conference – I had the opportunity to connect with Jason Melancon, Director of Media and Communications at the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI). Jason has more than eight years of experience managing print and web based marketing campaigns, special events and public relations. He also has extensive experience managing large scale, regional and statewide public health social marketing campaigns.

I met Jason in a panel session on how the CDC was tracking the use of their social web tools. Afterward we connected for a chat on what he was doing at LPHI and how they were using new media to help with their campaigns. One campaign in particular that we spoke about (and covered in the video) was Stay Healthy LA (Louisiana). Another initiative that LPHI is moving forward is GNOcommunity.org, which helps individuals and families locate quality community healthcare centers near them.

Interview with Jason Melancon, Louisiana Public Health Institute from Andre Blackman on Vimeo.

It is not very sexy to write about radio ads these days but this award winning one is great.

To mark the International Aids Day, all radio stations in Israel (20 different competitors) joined broadcasting together, and aired a 1 minute radio spot simultaneously at precisely 07:59, the highest rating time of the day. The simultaneous spot from the Israel Aids Task Force which was based on the insight that “Every time you have unprotected sex, a little doubt is born” asked people to switch radio station and see for themselves that they could not escape the “little” doubt.

Listen to the award winning radio ad here

The results:
- 1 radio spot, aired 1 day only, reached one third of the country’s population.
- The event made headlines and was covered extensively by all radio stations, but also by TV news broadcasts, internet sites and daily papers
- The number of visitors to the Aids Task Force website increased by 56% (Google Analytics).
- HIV testing increased by 41% making December 2008 the highest HIV test period ever.

The Radio Event, created by Shalmor Avnon Amichay/Y&R Interactive for the Aids Task Force, won a Merit at the 2009 One Show Awards.

The radio ad is part of a wider campaign.

See the video ‘Doubt’ here: