IMPOSSIBLE ORCHESTRA

Silver Spike

Case Film

Presentation Board

TitleIMPOSSIBLE ORCHESTRA
BrandCARE AWARE
Product / ServiceCARE AWARE
CategoryB04. Non-Corporate
EntrantMcCANN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Entrant Company McCANN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
Advertising Agency McCANN MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
PR Agency PORTER NOVELLI MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Pat Baron Mccann Melbourne Creative Director
John Mescall Mccann Melbourne Executive Creative Director
Emily Yarwood Porter Novelli Melbourne Account Director
Zoe Brown Porter Novelli Melbourne Group Account Director
Pat Baron Mccann Melbourne Art Director
John Mescall Mccann Melbourne Copywriter
Brett Kelly Airbag Productions Music
Victoria Conners-Bell Airbag Productions Producer
Katrina Fleming Airbag Productions Producer
Aaron Wilson Airbag Productions Director
Jo Alach Mccann Melbourne Agency Producer
Megan Jones Mccann Melbourne Senior Account Manager
Adrian Mills Mccann Melbourne Group Account Director
Pat Baron Mccann Melbourne Designer
Scott Hall Mccann Melbourne Designer
Natasha Wood Mccann Melbourne Copywriter
Matt Stoddart Mccann Melbourne Art Director

The Campaign

Australia has 2.6 million unpaid family carers. They care for their disabled children and their partners 24 hours a day. And they do it with almost no recognition. Our task was to find a way to launch the Federal Government’s National Carer Awareness Initiative by honouring the nation’s carers and drawing attention to the significant role they play. When you’re a carer, you never top caring. You might get the odd break but mentally, you’re always with the one you care for. So in order to draw attention to the significant role that carers play we needed an idea befitting their tireless efforts. The idea: Tell the story of what it’s like to care nonstop through a 24 hour, nonstop orchestral concert. Our primary target for this campaign was all Australian's 55+. Our objective was to raise awareness of carer related issues in this segment by 10%. To achieve this impossible challenge, we assembled over 200 of Australia’s finest classical musicians from our leading orchestras and challenged them to play for 24 hours in one of Australia’s finest concert venues – Melbourne’s Hamer Hall. During the event, carers and those they cared for rotated through the orchestra as guest musicians and conductors, including the carers from our short films. Many of the musicians themselves were also carers, and also told their stories throughout the 24 hours - bringing to life the message - When we work together, nothing is impossible. The whole event was broadcast to a live audience online.

The Brief

Our primary target for this campaign was all Australian's 55+. Our objective was to raise awareness of carer related issues in this segment by 10%. A secondary goals was to promote attendance at the concert (a 2,500 seat venue) and awareness online through the broadcast. Research had shown us that 55+ Australian's were the most likely to be responsive to information around caring related issues as they were most likely to be caring, or to be cared for.

Results

6,500 people attended the concert in person. Over 40 countries watched the event live online. The event trended twice on Twitter. The campaign message reached 217 news outlets nationwide, earned 15 minutes of national TV coverage earned 1 hour of radio coverage and reached 13.7 million Australians. In post campaign research the campaign achieved a 35% increase in awareness of caring as an issue amongst our target audience and a 20% increase in awareness of caring as an issue amongst all Australians (Qant research).

Execution

To achieve this impossible challenge, we assembled over 200 of Australia’s finest classical musicians from our leading orchestras and challenged them to play for 24 hours in one of Australia’s finest concert venues – Melbourne’s Hamer Hall. We found a world-class conductor and set about creating the musical score. But the concert was about more than music. Brutally honest and moving films about individual carers were shown during the event, with the orchestra providing a live score. During the event, carers and those they cared for rotated through the orchestra as guest musicians and conductors, including the carers from our short films. Many of the musicians themselves were also carers, and also told their stories throughout the 24 hours - bringing to life the message - When we work together, nothing is impossible. The whole event was captured for a feature length documentary and broadcast to a live audience online.

The Situation

Australia has 2.6 million unpaid family carers. They care for their disabled children and their partners 24 hours a day. And they do it with almost no recognition. The truth is that almost every Australian will become a carer, or be cared for at some stage of their lives. However, for most Australians, we just don't know it. So, with absolutely no money for media, our task was to find a way to launch the Federal Government’s National Carer Awareness Initiative by honouring the nation’s carers and drawing attention to the significant role they play.

The Strategy

Caring is a somber issue. It affects millions of people, but few talk about it because it's not something that people want to talk about. So our strategy was to take an issue that people didn't want to engage with, and wrap it in a positive idea that would draw people to it. When you’re a carer, you never top caring. You might get the odd break but mentally, you’re always with the one you care for. So in order to draw attention to the significant role that carers play we needed an idea befitting their tireless efforts. The idea: Tell the story of what it’s like to care nonstop through a 24 hour, nonstop orchestral concert.