Missing Children Society Of Canada: MILK CARTON 2.0

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: MISSING CHILDREN SOCIETY OF CANADA
Agency: GREY GROUP CANADA
Category: Social Media & Viral Marketing
Advertising campaign: MILK CARTON 2.0
Technology Director: John Breton (Grey (Canada))
Creative Technologist: Daryl Brewer (Grey (Canada))
Planner: Malcolm Mclean (Grey (Canada))
Writer: Marshneill Abraham (Grey (Canada))
Account Director: Patty Moher (Grey (Canada))
Writer: Dave Barber (Grey (Canada))
Creative Technologist: Mark Brombacher (Grey (Canada))
Chief Creative Officer: Patrick Scissons (Grey (Canada))
Art Director: Todd Lawson (Grey (Canada))
Account Director: Darlene Remlinger (Grey (Canada))
Writer: James Ansley (Grey (Canada))
Creative Technologist: Toby Pilling (Grey (Canada))
Art Director: Yusong Zhang (Grey (Canada))

Client Brief Or Objective
Starting in 1979 with missing child Etan Patz, milk cartons became a major media vehicle to raise awareness and involve the public in the search for a missing child. Some 30 years later, missing kids on milk cartons are no more, yet the Missing Children’s Society still handles over 50,000 children reported cases in Canada every year with limited financial resources for expansive search efforts.Please see URL: http://208.117.41.219/2012/valuableproject/index.html

Implementation
Instead of a direct mail fundraising campaign we created Milk Carton 2.0: a direct marketing innovation that used social platforms to involve the public in the search, whereby people could respond and notify authorities to report a sighting.

Execution
Milk Carton 2.0 could serve two very important purposes at once:1. An innovative new missing child alert system that would support the ongoing search & rescue efforts of the organization and its investigator team at no additional staffing costs.2. An impactful media vehicle that would also raise awareness about the organization and its work every time a missing child alert message was sent out, at no paid media cost Milk Carton 2.0 was a new way the public could do something and make a “donation” of something of value – other than money.

Outcome
- Milk Carton 2.0 gave the Missing Children Society a national profile and presence, generating over 23 million unique earned media impressions during the first month. - Milk Carton 2.0 improved the financial health of the organization, with a 15% increase in public donations and a 27% increase in corporate sponsorship.- Milk Carton 2.0 helped the search & rescue efforts of the organization at no additional cost, creating an online search party that reached 70% of all Canadians. - Milk Carton 2.0 saved children’s lives, directly responsible (as verified by post-recovery interviews and police reports) for assisting in the rescue of 6 missing children in the first 5 months alone.