The Campaign

Organ donation is a subject most Malaysians tend to avoid. Some believe it to be a religious taboo. Some fear disfigurement from the process of extracting them. Such misconceptions have held people from signing up. Despite efforts from the government and media to set the record straight, the older generation, hard-set in their beliefs, continue to ignore the facts. Friends 4 Organ Donation, an independent collective, however, believes the fate of organ donation lies in educating a more open-minded audience. We thought, who better to speak to than our young Malaysians? Our objectives were simple: - Raise awareness about organ donation amongst young Malaysians. - Spread the right facts. - Encourage pledging. It all started with a thought: Who will benefit from our organs after we pass on? THE BUGS WILL.

Success of the Campaign

When it comes to organ donation, changing decades of social, religious and cultural beliefs isn’t something that can be achieved overnight, but it is a cause we’re ready to take on for the long run. Friends 4 Organ Donation were all for it. After presenting the idea to local celebrities and a film director, all had volunteered their time and effort to push the campaign forward. Efforts put into launching the 'Don't Feed The Bugs' campaign in October 2011 proved effective: - Within a month, pledges to the National Transplant Resource Centre increased by 104%. - Friends 4 Organ Donation reached 177,668 friends on facebook. - Website average 1,250 visits/month. - Media coverage (and a pledge on live TV). - Approval from the Chief Transplant Coordinator, National Transplant Resource Centre. - A proposal from Malaysia's first living organ donor to register Friends 4 Organ Donation as a Non-Governmental Organisation.

Describe how the campaign/entry was launched and executed across each channel in the order of implementation.

Knowing full well that organ donation is heavy subject matter, we needed to come up with a radical approach to engage our fun-loving audience with the facts. Hence, the Don’t Feed The Bugs website was developed. Packed with enough madness to educate and entertain, the project unfolded into a full-fledged guerilla campaign, rallying young Malaysians through spaces they frequent. Touch points include: - Web, where and viral content featuring local celebrities were distributed across various social networks. - Major hotspots around the city, where the bug-costumed volunteers surprised them with quirky antics and brochures. - Nightclubs, where collaborative efforts with one of the party scene’s finest DJs led to the launch of our very own music single. - Highjacking their cupcake orders (they love the stuff).