Steve Waugh Foundation: The Riderless Bike, 2

Credits & Description:

Title: The Riderless Bike
Agency: Havas Australia
Brand: The Steve Waugh Foundation
Country: Australia
Entrant Company: Havas Australia, Sydney
Advertising Agency: Havas Australia, Sydney
Media Agency: Havas Media Australia, Sydney
Pr Agency: Red Agency, Sydney
Production Company: Finch, Sydney
Copywriter: Zac Pritchard (Havas)
Executive Creative Director: Stuart Turner (Havas Sydney)
Executive Creative Director: Seamus Higgins (Havas Sydney)
Art Director: Damian Galvin (Havas Sydney)
Digital Strategy Director: Bohdi Lewis (Havas Sydney)
Senior Account Manager: Lawrence Pretty (Havas Sydney)
Account Director: Carly Pelham (Havas Sydney)
Digital Creative Director: Gustavo Vampre (Havas Sydney)
Broadcast Producer: Harriet Tahtouh (Havas Sydney)
Head Of Design: Darren Cole (Havas Sydney)
Designers: Clint Crothers & Nic Adamovich (Havas Sydney)
Ux Design Director: Adam Shutler (Havas Sydney)
Ceo: James Wright (Red Agency)
Senior Account Manager: Nick Day (Red Agency)
Director Of Applied Technology: Emad Tahtouh (Finch)
Senior Applied Technologist: Patrick Barnes (Finch)
Applied Technologist: Albert Woffenden (Finch)
Applied Technologist: Hamish Pain (Finch)
Producer: Cara Szabo (Finch)
Director: Kelvin & Vicki Saik (Finch)
Producer: Amy Dymond (Finch)
Executive Producer: Corey Esse (Finch)
Producer: Hazel Gibson (Finch)
Digital Creative Director: Joshua Bryer (Havas Sydney)
Execution:
The Riderless Bike launched with a teaser video two weeks before the ride, generating unprecedented awareness and enthusiasm across Australia. Leaving Goulburn, NSW on the 29th October, setting out on the 700km journey through NSW before arriving in Mt Kosciuszko on the 3rd November 2016. Children and members of the public could experience the ride for themselves through a 360 camera that was relayed live to the website and to the Steve Waugh Foundation Facebook page. People were encouraged to sponsor the ride online, and they were notified as the bike passed through their area. It helped raise more than $1 million in donations and appeared in more than 552 articles across TV, press, Radio and online, but most importantly, it helped make people aware of the thousands of children in Australia affected by Rare Diseases.
Outcome:
The Riderless Bike travelled 700km on the Captain’s Ride on the 29th October to the 2rd November 2016, generating more than 552 articles in TV, Radio, Press and online publications. We reached more than 190 Million Australians, and witnessed a 150% increase on website traffic compared to the previous year. Donations rose by 237% on the previous year, raising more than $1 million for children with Rare Diseases.
Strategy:
Our aim was to lead with a huge PR awareness campaign, receiving a mass amount of earned media through some of Australia’s leading broadcast, print, online, local and trade publications, targeting all Australians (particularly NSW residents on the route of the ride) aged 18+. This promoted the Riderless Bike, but also raised the profile of the Steve Waugh Foundation and more importantly, the Captain’s Ride. We directed people to a campaign-landing page where they could learn about the Riderless Bike through an explanatory video and even sponsor the bike for part of the ride. We would then notify the user when the bike passed through their section. Every day we live streamed footage of the ride from the seat of the bike thanks to a 360 camera. We also raised awareness in each major town as people lined the streets to watch the Riderless Bike pass through the area.
Synopsis:
Every year, the Steve Waugh Foundation conducts a 6-day cycle through NSW, Australia known as The Captain’s Ride. It exists to raises money for the 400,000 Australian children affected by Rare Diseases. Steve Waugh and 60 fellow riders travel more than 700km, battling through the struggle those children with Rare Diseases face every day. The trouble is, the children with Rare Diseases were unable to take part in the ride. Our brief was to come up with an idea that not only raised awareness for the Steve Waugh Foundation and the Captain’s Ride, but also incorporated some form of donation mechanic for the campaign. Essentially we wanted to highlight the plight of children with Rare Diseases, raise $800,000 + for the foundation and generate 150 pieces of media.
Campaign Description:
The Captain's Ride raises money for the 400,00+ Australian children with Rare Diseases in Australia. The trouble is, the children are unable to take part in the ride. So, we created the world’s first Riderless Bike – A fully autonomous children’s bicycle that followed the peloton of the Captain’s Ride. The bike streamed a live feed of the ride from the seat of the bike through a 360 camera; allowing children with Rare Diseases and the public to watch the ride unfold live. People could also sponsor the bike for a part of the ride, and were notified by email as the bike passed through their section.
Relevancy:
Our objective for the 2016 Captain’s Ride was to attract a new audience of Australian’s, encouraging them to donate to the Steve Waugh Foundation. So, we launched the world’s first Riderless Bike, a fully autonomous children’s bicycle that represented children with Rare Diseases. It took part in every stage of the Captain’s Ride, venturing 700km through NSW, exposed to everyone in the area that it passed. Instead of creating a traditional campaign that raised awareness about the Captain’s Ride, we used the Riderless Bike as an ambient media placement on the ride, generating awareness through PR and viewers as it passed through each area. This unique form of media not only represented children who can’t participate in the ride, it allowed them to experience the ride with a 360 camera, and the public could sponsor it online for a section of the route, becoming a non-traditional donation mechanic.