The Campaign

In October 2013, fierce bushfires ravaged New South Wales. In the Blue Mountains alone, thousands of people were evacuated and 200 homes were reduced to ash. In the midst of these tragedies, the Australian Red Cross provided support with recovery teams, trained staff and volunteers. But for continuing care, they needed donations. To help the Red Cross raise much-needed funds, we targeted high-end givers through an innovative PR idea. We commissioned thirteen of Australia’s most famous artists (including Nicholas Harding, Paul Ryan, Anne Judell, Archer) to use the charred remnants from people’s properties and environments to create one-of-a-kind artworks. These unique artworks were then auctioned, with all proceeds going towards the vital disaster relief and recovery work that Red Cross performs. The project encouraged donors to dig into their pockets and helped provide a new beginning for bushfire victims. At its core, ‘Embers of Empathy’ was a simple idea that sparked a massive PR campaign that garnered support across Australia. It was picked by major television stations, shared on social media sites, press and radio channels. What’s more, it was incredibly cost-effective, with all the artists donating their time and profiles to the cause.

The Brief

The goal of ‘Embers for Empathy’ was to raise funds for bushfire victims and at the same time build awareness of Red Cross’ role. Our key audience were high-end givers, people who earn over $600,000 and who want to give something back to society. ‘Embers of Empathy’ provided the perfect donation opportunity, alongside a permanent, physical reminder of their commitment to the cause. We also wanted to reach the ‘everyday’ donor; someone who might see the campaign and be inspired to donate to Red Cross directly.

Results

The exclusive approach with ABC resulted in national media coverage across TV, online and radio. The story of a community in New South Wales and the unique initiative that came to their aid reached over 14 million Australians. This quality editorial successfully communicated the campaign's key messages - from the creative idea, to the development of the artworks, to details of the auction and most importantly, where the money would go, encouraging bidding and donation. With zero media dollars and in less than 2 months the campaign raised $69, 000 for the Red Cross’ Disaster Relief efforts. It spread the news of the bushfires and rose awareness of Red Cross activity to over 13, 218 000 Australians. The campaign also earned over $149,782 worth of free editorial coverage. And ultimately, identified Red Cross as an organization through which anyone can help those affected by a natural disaster.

Execution

‘Embers of Empathy’ took the charred remnants from victim’s properties and environments and distributed them to artists who were briefed to use them as a medium for creating their individual artworks over the course of the Australian summer. While the artists were creating their artwork we seeded updates about the project and ultimate auction information in the media. We secured exclusive filming opportunities with the national ABC news network, profiling the artists involved and their creative process. We also profiled each artist on social media. In the lead-up to the auction, this generated buzz both in art circles and throughout the general community. Pre and post-event auction media releases and photos were distributed as part of a national outreach, which also included interviews with members of Red Cross and the Embers of Empathy artists.

The Situation

Australia is synonymous with bushfires. Every summer, devastating outbreaks and bushfire tragedies dominate the news. Often livestock, homes, lives and futures are reduced to ash. 2013 was one of the worst summers on record. The Red Cross has been helping Australian families cope with natural disasters like the bushfires since 1914, providing relief where many others turn away. To help them deal with the burden of the latest bushfires and offer support to the victims, we needed to raise funds to finance disaster recovery teams to help those affected get their lives back on track.

The Strategy

To reach our affluent target audience without excluding the everyday donor, we took a three-tiered approach. Firstly, we launched the emotive ‘Embers of Empathy’ story at a time when it was most topical. We then shared our message through key media channels that our target audience consumes. This included national news, Press and websites. Always ensuring that we engaged with our high-end audience, whilst being accessible to ‘everyday’ donors. The objective of this targeted approach was to create quality editorial coverage leading up to the auction, generating a buzz around the high profile artists involved and the ultimate unveiling of the artworks.