Red Cross swiftly makes waves
When disaster strikes, it’s important for the Canadian Red Cross to mobilize quickly and effectively – both on the ground and in its fundraising efforts. “Tsunami,” a print campaign launched in October, did just that.
Published in the Globe & Mail after a natural disaster struck the Asia Pacific region, the full-page ad shows a tidal wave of words (including “injuries,” “hunger,” “pandemic,” “earthquake” and “tsunami”) rushing towards the shores of a city. The crest of the wave is positioned atop the fold of the newspaper, providing a three-dimensional feel,
with copy underneath that reads, “After waves of disaster hit Asia Pacific this week, we’re on the ground providing aid, support and hope.”
Created by Montreal-based Cossette, the ad was conceptualized and delivered within 48 hours. The goal was to remind Canadians that their comfortable lives could be forever changed by a natural disaster, says Benoît Bessette, VP, Cossette.
“Lots of humanitarian organizations go for more conventional advertising treatments, with children and scenes of destruction,” says Bessette. “But the Canadian Red Cross is very open-minded to make sure we [capture] the imagination of Canadians in a more interesting way.”
Making Paralympics about power, not pity
The Canadian Paralympic Committee was clearly going for gold with its first-ever advertising campaign, “Paralympic Heroes,” which launched in February, promoting the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
In one ad, a photo of swimmer Stephanie Dixon standing on her one leg captures the power of the Paralympians: “She doesn’t want your sympathy. But her opponents might.” Another, featuring sledge hockey player Ray Grassi, asserts, “Standing on the podium is overrated.” In total, four ads ran in space donated by the Globe & Mail.
Created and executed pro bono by BBDO Toronto, the campaign had two goals: first, to show sports enthusiasts that the Paralympic Games are just as exciting as the Olympics and, second, to inspire young disabled Canadians and their families. “An obvious way to do this was to talk about the Paralympians themselves and celebrate what they have done, what they will do and what got them to this point, which was their strength and their determination,” says Peter Ignazi, SVP and CD, BBDO Toronto.
The plan worked: this year’s Paralympic Games enjoyed the highest viewership ever, with 13.6 million Canadians tuning in and 7.5 million media impressions received in the first two weeks of the campaign. “Paralympic Heroes,” which also included television spots, was nominated for four CLIOs.
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