By A Correspondent
Initiative, a performance-led media communications company, has masterminded the world’s largest free advertising campaign to help promote a better world for children. The agency is seeking to set a world record and help raise $1m in the process.
Rather than spend money on holiday cards, Initiative will bring together its network strength and expertise to produce a global campaign – from conception to media placement – to create awareness of the important work being undertaken by its international charity and education partner, Free the Children (www.freethechildren.com).
Initiative will run the campaign in over 70 markets around the world, without spending any money on media or creative. In order to do this, Initiative is partnering with some of the world’s largest media owners to run the campaign on TV, radio, online, email, outdoor and in newspapers and magazines.
Last year, with the generosity of its media partners, Initiative managed to increase donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by 300%, through its first ever free advertising campaign for a charity.
Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million young people involved in programs in 45 countries. Its mission is to free children from poverty and exploitation, and its signature event is “We Day”, which brings together entertainers, social justice leaders, and student leaders to help create positive change.
Initiative’s campaign for the charity has been produced by Puerto Rican creative agency Sajo Garcia Alcazar (www.sajogarcia.com), part of the Initiative network. The campaign will run from December 26 to January 31. The campaign’s creative, focused on changing the status of young people living in developing communities, drives people to Free The Children’s “We Day” Facebook page, www.facebook.com/weday, encouraging them to ‘like’ it. For every ‘like’, Free The Children’s partners are donating one US dollar.
Initiative is looking to help the organization surpass its goal of raising $1m, and in so doing, creating the world record for the largest number of likes of a non-profit organisation’s Facebook page.
Initiative has also partnered with sister IPG network McCann Erickson, which has offered its services for free. McCann Erickson will be managing translations, adaptations and trafficking in all markets where the campaign is running.
Mauricio Sabogal, president, World Markets, Initiative said: “It is really important that global companies, such as Initiative, play their part in charitable activities, and we are delighted to be supporting the important work being done by Free the Children. This campaign is a testament to the power of the Initiative network. We could not have produced this ambitious campaign without the generosity of our media partners and McCann Erickson, who are working so hard without payment.”
Craig Kielburger, co-founder, Free the Children, said: “We are very grateful for the incredible generosity of Initiative and its media partners, helping us to form connections with people around the world that traditionally we would not be able to reach. Whether through fundraising or online engagement, social media plays a key role for us, and we are always looking for ways it can support and enhance the work we do with youth.”
Lynn De Souza, Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group, said: “We are extremely happy to be a part of this initiative. It is a good cause, and we are thankful to all our media partners like Big FM, Radio City, My FM, Hello FM, Radio Mirchi, Colors, Times network, and many other media partners who have provided free space for this initiative. We have secured media space in excess of Rs 50 million for this cause, and it will go a long way in garnering support for the charity.”
By A Correspondent
By A Correspondent