I am married, have 3 kids..Read Tarot cards , do astrology , love fringe science , write poems/ditties/short songs..smoke, drink.etc …Enjoy reading….oh yes, I have Tourettes ( full blown, you know, swearing and aggresive jerking…) and I’m a High Functioning Autistic….Basically, I’m a dream come true..no not really, thats just silliness….

These are the words from Guy +. His videos are going round very fast on the internet right now. Tourettes F*CK Karaoke.
Organisations can spend thousands of Dollars on marketing campaigns. But stories in a form like Guy + is doing have a much bigger impact. The video above, the karaoke version of the fragile R.E.M. song ‘Losing my religion’, got over to 280.000 views on YouTube.

One of the comments on YouTube: “I feel really bad asking, but? is it okay to laugh?” To be honest I was laughing out loud seeing the video for the first time. But I also feel respect and he deserves it from all of us.

Listen to a interview Guy + did this week on UKHD RADIO, London, Britain (UK).
About his wife: “She have a weird sense of humor”.

Tourettes Interview by MinutesofMayhem

Guy + about Tourette syndrome [Wikipedia]: “I do not imagine it could happen to just anyone, I was born with it but it was ‘locked’ up…to quote a description of adsd related tourettes…If you were to watch video’s of me as a child you would see it there…relax my friend if its in your gene’s? then it could happen to you..if not, don’t panic….”

See more karaoke and other videos at his video channel.

His latest karaoke video: “Once again one finds oneself ticcing like a ‘mofo’ , so the only solution is to record a Tourettes karaoke version of Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’…”:

Despite the high visibility of women’s cancers in cause marketing, heart disease is the number one killer of women over 55. It’s one of those health issues that seems to fly under the radar until a high-profile case enters our consciousness.

That was what happened during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, when Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette lost her mother to heart disease just two days before she was scheduled to compete. Joannie went on anyway, in honour of her mother, and earned a Bronze Medal as well as achieving a personal best.

Joannie continues to campaign for women’s heart health, and from last week her “iheartmom.ca” campaign to raise awareness and funds is online.

The call-to-action of the campaign is to visit the “iheartmom.ca” site where you can either donate or raise funds via Facebook.

Some facts on heart disease in women:

• Heart disease is the #1 killer of women aged 55 or older
• Women of all ages represent 50% of heart disease deaths in Canada
• In 2005, more than 25,000 Canadian women died from heart disease
• More than one-third of women aged 45 and over have high blood pressure
• Heart disease risk in women increases with age and the onset of menopause
• Heart attack is not uncommon in women in their 30s
• Women’s heart attack symptoms can include unusual fatigue, trouble sleeping, indigestion and anxiety up to one month before a heart attack

Agency: Acart Communications

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Crosspost from Marc van Gurp and Tom Megginson from Osocio which examines the world of advertising in the social change/non-profit landscape.

“Je tue plus que le Cancer, Je tue plus que le Sida, Je tue plus que la Guerre, Je tue 15 personness chaque minute.”
“I kill more than cancer, I kill more than AIDS, I kill more than war, I kill 15 people every minute.”

Great installation made for World Water Day by Solidarités International for which water was the medium. This special event was held from 17th to 22nd March 2010 at Place du Palais Royal, Musée du Louvre in Paris.

“I am the leading cause of death in the world, I am unsafe drinking water. Unsafe drinking water kills 8 million people per year.”

This is Solidarités International’s major combat in over 15 countries.

Webbanners:

Agency: BDDP & Fils
Artistic Director: David Derouet
Designer-Writer: Emmanuel de Dieuleveult
Production: COSA, LES JANDJ
Technology: Use/Aquascript

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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.

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.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) relaunched their popular Yoobot online game last week. Players can create a miniature version of themself.

Children are in complete control of their Yoobot’s diet and physical activity and see how the health of their Yoobot develops as a result of the choices they make.

The main aim of Yoobot is to encourage children to consider the long term consequences of their current food and activity choices – by offering them a chance to experiment with their future.

The game is a follow up to last year’s hugely successful game YooBot, part of the Food4Thought campaign.

More than one million Yoobots were created in the first year of the BHF’s campaign and research has proven that 40% of 11-13 year olds were aware of the game. It was the third fastest growing online UK search term in 2008, ahead of ‘Britney Spears’.

The new version of the game features YooNot, the alter ego of the original YooBot character that encourages to eat junk food and do no exercise. In the game, users can defeat the YooNot in a game of Ultimate Dodgeball.

Jon Williams, chief creative officer at Grey London, said, “Yoobot’s back and this time he’s got a dark side. We all have the voice within us that tells us to do stuff we shouldn’t. YooNot is the virtual manifestation of that. Let the battle commence. The game just got more interesting.”

BHF is also launching real-life Ultimate Dodgeball throughout schools to encourage children to make changes to their diet and lifestyle.

The campaign is being promoted via desk drops in schools, online and SMS activity and a targeted advertising campaign with Nickelodeon.

BHF head of social marketing and brand Nick Radmore says: “Children are increasingly technology savvy so we decided to disseminate the messages about eating and exercise habits in a medium they are familiar with.”

The nutritional content and benefits of physical activity are modeled on real data in order to give the experience a degree of realism. However, in order to clearly link certain actions with health implications the BHF have exaggerated, and in some cases simplified, reality in order to emphasise the key points they would like users to understand.

The game has been created by Grey London and co-produced with Bloc media.

Yoobot 2009 TV Ad – version 1:

Yoobot 2009 TV Ad – version 2: