Comic Relief: Swear Jar [image] 3

Credits & Description:

Title: Swear Jar
Agency: Valenstein & Fatt
Brand: Comic Relief
Country: United Kingdom
Entrant Company: Valenstein & Fatt, London
Advertising Agency: Valenstein & Fatt, London
Media Agency: Mindshare, London
Production Company: Possible Cee, Budapest
Creative: Henrik Ridderheim (Valenstein & Fatt)
Creative: Jonathan Marlow (Valenstein & Fatt)
Chief Creative Officer: Vicki Maguire (Valenstein & Fatt)
Chief Marketing Officer: Sarah Jenkins (Valenstein & Fatt)
Executive Creative Technologist: Perry Nightingale (Valenstein & Fatt)
Creative: Tom Worthington (Valenstein & Fatt)
Creative: Greg Ormrod (Valenstein & Fatt)
Creative: Emily Churches (Valenstein & Fatt)
Creative: Stevie Rowing-Park (Valenstein & Fatt)
Creative Producer: Serena Hodgson (Valenstein & Fatt)
Designer: Matteo Alabiso (Valenstein & Fatt)
Digital Design Director: John-Patrick Racle (Valenstein & Fatt)
Digital Designer: Tyrone Zall (Valenstein & Fatt)
Chief Production Officer: Olivia Chalk (Valenstein & Fatt)
Tv Producer: Jessie Gammell (Valenstein & Fatt)
Programme Director: Richard Hau (Valenstein & Fatt)
Digital Producer: James Kavanagh (Valenstein & Fatt)
Business Director: Tim Rogowski (Valenstein & Fatt)
Account Director: Kate Douglas (Valenstein & Fatt)
Account Manager: Max Arkell (Valenstein & Fatt)
Account Executive: Rebecca Jackson (Valenstein & Fatt)
Content Strategist: Alex Wrigley (Valenstein & Fatt)
Planning Partner: Matt Springate (Valenstein & Fatt)
Planner: Bhavin Pahari (Valenstein & Fatt)
Business Affairs: Melissa Beeson (Valenstein & Fatt)
Relevancy:
The Comic Relief ‘Swear Jar’ app was an interactive and fun way to get young people to donate to charity.It was a new way to drive participation and a provocative and entertaining way that turned their bad deeds (swearing) into good deeds (donating money to a charity).
Outcome:
- 11k+ app downloads in first week- 50m+ combined reach (36m+ on social)- £73.3 million raised by Comic Relief 2017 (up 33% from 2016)
Campaign Description:
We wanted this to be the most fun way to donate to Comic Relief ever.So we developed a digital ‘Swear Jar’ app that caught people when they swore and sent a donation to Comic Relief. It turned people’s bad habits into good deeds.The Swear Jar app, which was linked to people’s bank accounts via PayPal, automatically fined users every time they used bad language.It worked by identifying and tallying up the amount of times people swore, donating 20p to Comic Relief every time they used a filthy word. The app used voice recognition technology from Google during the listening sessions which lasted for a maximum of ten minutes.With 42 swear words listed in the app, Brits were given plenty of opportunities to contribute to Comic Relief in a way like never before.
Synopsis:
Comic Relief is a UK based charity that raises millions each year during Red Nose Day. We were asked to find a fun way for people to donate (especially 18-24 year olds).Our challenge was to create a modern take on traditional fundraising.We had 3 key objectives:1.PR: Get people talking about Comic Relief2.Engagement: Encourage people to download and use the app3.Donations: Raise money
Execution:
Our implementation strategy was all about aligning the owned and earned channels, including influencers – to go live at the same time. We knew this would help us with visibility in the app store.The ‘Swear Jar’ app launched on March 16th on social media, with a hilarious montage of BBC bloopers and celebs swearing like troopers with their own colourful message of support.Celebrities including Ricky Gervais, Renee Zellweger, Bill Nighy and Stephen Fry then helped spread the word. We also got other celebrities to take part in our very own Swear Jar Challenge. Rufus Hound kicked the challenge off by swearing as much as possible in 20 seconds and nominating his celebrity friends to do the same. We even got a mention on prime-time BBC TV on the Graham Norton Show.
Strategy:
We had to find a modern take on traditional fundraising to get 18-24 year olds to donate money to Comic Relief. Our approach was to make it fun and entertaining in line with Comic Reliefs roots in comedy. Ofcom data validated what we already knew - that mobile was the most important media channel for 18-24s. In order for us to modernise fundraising for Comic Relief, we had to start from mobile. But with millions of apps trying to get this audience’s attention, we needed to be disruptive to gain. How could create something to get them to say “WTF” or “OMG?!” to their friends? The answer was to get people to do the one thing comedians did lots of, and parents told you never to do. For one week we turned the illicit joy of swearing into donations for Comic Relief.