FACEBOOK FRIENDS

TitleFACEBOOK FRIENDS
BrandWOMEN'S AID ORGANISATION
Product / ServiceNON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATION
CategoryA04. Direct Response Digital Media
EntrantLEO BURNETT ADVERTISING Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
Entrant Company:LEO BURNETT ADVERTISING Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA
DM/Advertising Agency:LEO BURNETT ADVERTISING Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA

Credits

Credits

Name Company Position
Tan Kien Eng Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Managing Director/Executive Creative Director
Theresa Tsang Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Creative Director
Valerie Chen Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Creative Director
Phianphon Sitichaidecha Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Art Director
Theresa Tsang Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Art Director
Nik Faraliza Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Copywriter
Valerie Chen Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Copywriter
Lo Yew Joe Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Designer
Chia Kah Yau/Mizhael Kong Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Production Manager
Eric Liaw Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide 3d Fx Designer
Mohd Fathil Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide Producer

The Brief

In conjunction with the worldwide 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the client wanted a movement that would reach wider groups of people, at a near zero budget. The aim? Raise awareness that domestic violence can happen to anyone and garner support.

Creative Execution

Facebook is the top social networking site, so it was the perfect vehicle to drive home the point that a domestic violence victim or abuser could be among friends you know or make every day. And to date, this platform has never been used in such a creative manner for social awareness.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

We came up with an online idea using Facebook, to demonstrate that a victim or abuser could be someone you know. Two fictional profiles were created (one for Lynna, a 'victim', and the other for Benny, an 'aggressor') to appeal to both male and female Facebook users. They were then sent out to users as a Friend Suggestion invitation. At first, these 'friends' seemed very normal, attractive individuals. Upon closer inspection, users began to notice hints of their personal issues. Their true identities were finally revealed at the end, with the invitation to join the WAO Facebook Group.

Results

For a less web savvy market like Malaysia, which also faces bandwidth limitations due to its developing internet infrastructure, compared to countries like Japan and China, we managed to rake in highly encouraging responses: Members of the WAO Facebook Group: 1,142 members, friends of Benny: 633 and friends of Lynna: 663, within the first week of the campaign launch ... and the numbers are still growing. The campaign also sparked positive reactions from Facebook users the world over through messages, emails and postings. More importantly, it helped raise awareness and offer help to those who may be at risk, as well as their friends.