Sunday, October 16, 2005
MAKE POVERTY HISTORY!
Organization: The ONE Campaign
Ad: "ONE More"
Market: USA
Product: Make Poverty History
Agency: N/A
Year: 2005
Link:http://www.sun.com/one/video-60-wvx-lo.html
Verdict: 7 out of 10
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I waited a few months to judge this effort. I wanted to be a bit less biased and less influenced from the early buzz about this campaign. I put it on hold and watched it again last night, just to see if it still has the strength I remembered when I first saw it.
I have to admit it is still as powerful as ever. The crisp message, the simplicity of the visual, the undertoned use of personalities and the straightforward call to action make it a very strong execution.
Let's take things from the beginning:
The ONE Campaign was founded by a variety of charitable organisations "to fight the global AIDS emergency and end extreme poverty". It believes that "allocating an additional ONE percent of the U.S. budget toward providing basic needs like health, education, clean water and food, would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation of the poorest countries".
The organisations that collaborated included "Bread for the World, CARE, DATA, International Medical Corps, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, Oxfam America, Plan USA, Save the Children US, World Concern, and World Vision. The ONE Campaign is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. ONE links directly to the international effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals."
ONE percent of US budget is $25 billion and can do the following:
prevent 10 million children from becoming AIDS orphans;
get 104 million children into grade school;
provide water to almost 900 million people around the globe;
save almost 6.5 million children under 5 from dying of diseases that could be prevented with low-cost measures like vaccination or a well for clean water.
The ad is executionally very simple. Numerous celebrities appear in white T-shirts against a standard background. The visual simplicity provides the right framework for the seriousness of the message and it allows the viewer to focus attention on it.
The copywriter had to work hard to keep the message, simple, rational, factual, yet emotionally touching the right chords. ONE provides the theme around the whole message. The Power of ONE more...one more person, one more voice, one more percent of US budget.
It is a call to action making it straightforwardly clear than every ONE person can make a difference. Every three seconds ONE person dies in Africa, Asia...even in America. Aid groups are uniting. They need help...ONE more person.
This intentionally goes back to the basics of charitable work. The individual is the basis of contribution and the union of aid agencies funnels their contributions to the most needed.
The ad finishes with the statement:"We are not asking for your money, we are asking for your voice." What a masterful conclusion, so unique compared to normal charity ads, so powerful a call to action.
I like the ad. To the point, like original advertising used to be in the early parts of the 20th century. No pizazz, no music, no fancy stories, sets, jokes, backgrounds. Just a simple message told factually.
Evaluation:
In following our standard evaluation methodology:
The ad is straightforward, somewhat relevant to the viewer. The message is by nature believable. Branding comes late for my taste, and I doubt the execution is ownable or extremely distinctive to other charity ads. However, the message is memorable and I am certain it calls viewers to act.
Detailed Score: 7 out of 10
1. Understandable: H
2. Relevant: M
3. Credible: H
4. Persuasive: H
5. Well-branded: M
6. Ownable: L
7. Distinctive: M
8. Memorable: H
9. Engaging: M
10. Makes Me Buy: H
Do the right thing! Visit the website www.one.org, look at the message and sign the declaration to add ONE more voice! I did!
G. Evans
Oct 2005
