Charity: "I HAVE ALREADY DIED" Direct marketing by Publicis Amsterdam

Type of entry: Product & Service
Category: Charities
Advertiser: ALS FOUNDATION NETHERLANDS
Product/Service: CHARITY
Entrant PUBLICIS Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Title: I HAVE ALREADY DIED
Entrant Company: PUBLICIS Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
DM/Advertising Agency: PUBLICIS Amsterdam, THE NETHERLANDS
Executive Creative Director: Marcel Hartog (Publicis)
Executive Creative Director: Jeroen Van Zwam (Publicis)
Copywriter: Marcel Hartog (Publicis)
Art Director: Jeroen Van Zwam (Publicis)
Designer: Dave Fransen (Publicis)
Photographer: Lukas Göbel
Post-production: Jan Hibma
Production Company: In Case Of Fire
Director: Olaf Van Gerwen
Editor: Kim Hinrichs/Michael Horvers/Francisco Rodriguez Bouzas
Sound Studio: Robin Schlösser/Studio de Keuken
Art Buyer: Ron Townsend (Publicis)
Technical Designer: Jeroen Hessing (Publicis)
Interaction Designer: Kelly Kouw (Publicis)
Producer: Marja Borkus (Publicis)
Account Director: Michiel Van Der Linden (Publicis)
Account Manager: Marcella Van Holten-Beekman (Publicis)
Public Relations: Anne-Marie Brouwers
Public Relations: Ingrid Wallisch
Media: George Goudsblom/Remco Roohé (Starcom/MBS)
Describe the brief from the client
Increase donations to the ALS Foundation Netherlands (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or motor neuron disease). ALS is an incurable and deadly disease of the nervous system that makes your muscles stop one by one. On average patients die within 3 years of being diagnosed.
It's cynical, but this is the main reason why the pharmaceutical industry does not invest in finding a cure. So money is desperately needed. To make people aware of this unknown disease and increase willingness to give, a confrontational strategy was chosen. Participating patients made campaign statements, which are aired after they have died.
Creative Execution
To make people aware of this unknown disease, cut through the clutter without any budget and raise willingness-to-give, a confrontational strategy was chosen: ALS patients whose campaign statements are aired after they have died.
The participating patients explain when they were diagnosed with ALS , what the disease means and why money is so desperately needed. The fact that their request for a donation is not for themselves, because they have already passed away, is the ultimate proof that ALS is a merciless disease.
Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.
Patients suffering from ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease made campaign statements, in which they ask people to join the fight against this merciless disease by making a donation. Not for themselves, because their campaign statements are aired after they have died.
To put this thought-provoking campaign into the right perspective from the start, it was launched on the national news. During the campaign, which ran in various media, TV shows, magazines and all major newspapers published reports on the campaign featuring participating patients and their loved ones as ambassadors.
Describe the results in as much detail as possible.
Although the ALS Foundation Netherlands has no campaign budget at all and depends on free ad space, donations rose 500%.
•Awareness of ALS rose from 62% to 81%.*
•Willingness-to-give rose from 27% to 40% *
* Market Research, validated, Dutch general audience, age 18+.
More money for scientific research can be expected as the campaign continues, as each of the 9 participating patients loses the fight against ALS.