StarHub: Donate-A-Tone

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: STARHUB
Agency: DDB GROUP SINGAPORE
Category: Best Low Budget Campaign
Advertising campaign: DONATE-A-TONE
Copywriter: Adrian Yeap (DDB Group Singapore)
Producer: Kimie Ong (DDB Group Singapore)
Creative Director: Khalid Osman (DDB Group Singapore)
Chief Creative Officer: Neil Johnson (DDB Group Singapore)
Account Supervisor: Rowena Bhagchandani (DDB Group Singapore)
Deputy Executive Creative Director/Head Of Art/Design: Thomas Yang (DDB Group Singapore)
Project Manager: Joey Yu (DDB Group Singapore)
Project Manager: Leslie Goh (DDB Group Singapore)
Associate Creative Director: Lester Lee (DDB Group Singapore)
Web Developer: Mario Dinata (DDB Group Singapore)
Art Director: Ngai Arh Chun (DDB Group Singapore)
Web Developer: Yishu See (DDB Group Singapore)
Video Production House: (Momentum)
Audio Production House: (The Gunnery)
Server Administrator: Aaron Santos (DDB Group Singapore)
Group Executive Creative Director: Joji Jacob (DDB Group Singapore)
Account Manager: Xindy Wang (DDB Group Singapore)
Head Of Technology: Yeo Wee Lee (DDB Group Singapore)

Implementation
StarHub decided to turn to its biggest asset – 2.5 million mobile subscribers, and turn them into messengers of good. Introducing Donate-A-Tone: A non-profit innovation that lets you turn your ringback tone into a message by SOS. Utilizing a previously unused media channel that taps into Singapore’s largest mobile network, StarHub users can now help SOS spread their message. On top of that, callers listening to the message can also adopt it and make it their own, thus helping to amplify SOS’ call for volunteers and donations.

Outcome
With a 100% engagement rate, the message by the Samaritans reached out to everyone and anyone, making it far more effective than traditional media. In two months, a total of 141,840 tones became our message worth $1.4 million in media space – without spend a cent on media. The Samaritans raised 17 times the donations they received the same time last year and a 450% increase in the number of volunteer enquiries. For two consecutive months, SOS’ message was the most downloaded tone of the month. With that, Donate-A-Tone proved that when the call to do good came, Singapore answered.

Client Brief Or Objective
StarHub is one of Singapore’s largest mobile carriers. Every year, StarHub does its part for society by raising money and calling for volunteers on behalf of its adopted charity, the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) – Singapore’s only 24-hour suicide prevention hotline. Unfortunately, media space is limited and costly, and there is only so much time and money that StarHub can give. So what more can a mobile carrier do to help the Samaritans without spending more money?

Execution
The average caller makes 6 calls a day and spends 6.2 seconds waiting for his call to be answered. So a population of 2.5 million mobile users will spend a total of 25,000 hours listening to ringback tones each day. With Donate-A-Tone, StarHub turned the ubiquitous ringback tone, something that all mobile users have but paid little attention to, into a new, cost-free donation platform that helps SOS spread their message.