KBC BANK: "TODAY'S YOUTH FOR YESTERDAY'S YOUTH [image]" Print Ad by Tbwa\brussels

Category: Corporate Responsibility
Advertiser: KBC BANK
Product/Service: KBC BANK
Agency: TBWA\BRUSSELS
Creative Director: Jan Macken (TBWA Brussels)
Copywriter: Geert Verdonck (TBWA Brussels)
Art Director: Menno Buyl (TBWA Brussels)
Account Manager: Valerie Vleminckx (TBWA Brussels)
Account Executive: Katrien Crabbe (TBWA Brussels)
Public Relations: Sally Hereygers (TBWA Group Brussels / Pride)
Public Relations: Steven Verbeiren (TBWA Group Brussels / Pride)
Copywriter: Chiara De Decker (TBWA Brussels)
Client Service Director: Geert Potargent (TBWA Brussels)
Media placement: Digital PR - Online Sites Focussed On 13-26y, Humo.be, Hln.be, Facebook, ... - 2 May 2011
Media placement: Consumer PR - In All Newspapers, Magazines, Regional En National TV - 2 May 2011
Media placement: Viral Seeding Campaign - Youtube.com, Vimeo.com, Garagetv.be, And Other Hosts, Including All Kinds Of Blogs - 26 April 2011

Summary of the Campaign
Problem:
Lately most banks are doing really bad things with (our) money. Hence the economic crisis. And when they keep on luring young people with free gifts and gadgets, you can’t blame those youngsters for shopping around, can you?
So how to build a long-term relationship with tomorrow’s grown ups and prove that KBC is a bank that understands that goodness can arise from money?

Solution:
Why not show young people that in order to do good things 'with' money, you have to do good things 'for' money.

The Campaign Idea:
Every year KBC gives away festival tickets for the biggest summer festivals. But this time you had to earn them. By helping the ones the furthest away from your young and vivid lifestyle: the elderly. Introducing: today’s youth for yesterday’s youth.

We used regional press with only a little investment to recruit the elderly and youngsters. Beautiful stories appeared in press. Thanks to PR, we cleared the gap between young and old and created a dialogue between KBC Bank and their clients.

The Situation

We discovered Belgians are strongly involved when it comes to improving their nearby environment. Brands often approach a world problem like poverty and hunger, and local issues are forgotten. Helping elderly communities responds to this trend.

Through PR, we were able to address the age gap, start a dialogue, engage young people to help, and eventually tell beautiful stories about today’s youth interacting with yesterday’s youth.

The Goal
Only youngsters under the age of 26 and ‘old’ people from the age of 60 could participate in the contest.

We wanted to reassure young clients and young prospective clients of their choice of KBC, and prove to them that the KBC Bank is committed to improving their direct environment. Secondly, we wanted to show youngsters that life isn’t always to be taken for granted. Not only did we connected with youngsters, but their parents, grandparents etc. also responded to the idea. All in a positive way.

The Strategy
We started small and waited until the media picked the story up and told it in their own way.

We used little paid media (radio/print/online) to recruit youngsters for the contest. The follow-up was carried by earned media, from youngsters talking about their participation on Facebook, to elders sharing their experience in a newspaper article or on television.

Earned media made the campaign a success. Our story reached a broad audience through free publicity in newspapers and even on national TV. As the campaign was running, more youngsters and elders showed interest in participating after hearing about the do-good purpose.

Execution
In the first phase, we contacted the elderly through the local press and senior organisations. Secondly, the elderly and their assignments were collected on a website, each with his/her own personal profile. With a small paid media campaign talking about free festival tickets, we generated loads of youngsters towards this site. Once they got there, they could find their ‘match’ . The older person simply had to contact his or her favourite youngster to make words into actions. Elders and youngsters were given 2-3 weeks to meet up. We gave the press a chance to follow them.

At first, regional media picked it up and made beautiful stories about these bridging the generation gap. But then came national media and the whole project/idea instantly gained visibility on national TV during prime-time, for free.

Documented Results
We made people talk about it, both offline as online, from regional to national press:
• More than 200% earned media (free press, primetime national television);
• More than 70,000 visitors to the website in 1 week (which is a lot for a campaign in Belgium);
• With very little paid media investment, we gained 280% more online media value;
• A regained mutual respect between young and old;
• And more actions planned for the future.

Through PR, we were able to clear the age gap, start a dialogue, engage young people to help and eventually tell beautiful stories about today’s youth interacting with yesterday’s youth. Bridging the generation gap thanks to the KBC Bank and their clients.