Free A Girl: THE REALISTIC APROACH

Credits & Description:

Advertiser: FREE A GIRL
Agency: PUBLICIS, ZENITHOPTIMEDIA
Category: Media, Entertainment and Leisure
Client: Evelien Hölsken (Stop Kindermisbruik)
Strategy Director: Bianca Vd Boogaard (Publicis Amsterdam)
Designer: Dave Fransen (Publicis Amsterdam)
Head Of Strategy: Gertjan Hafkamp (Publicis Amsterdam)
Production Company: In Case Of Fire
Copywriter: Marcel Hartog (Publicis Amsterdam)
Camera: Olaf Van Gerwen (In Case Of Fire)
Producer: Leonie Van Hoëvell (In Case Of Fire)
Communications Manager: Nicole Franken (Stop Kindermisbruik)
Media Director: Iris De Hoog (Zenith Optimedia)
Executive Creative Director: Jeroen Van Zwam (Publicis Amsterdam)
Business Director: Kees De Groot (Zenith Optimedia)
Executive Creative Director: Marcel Hartog (Publicis Amsterdam)
Client: Roelof Van Laar (Stop Kindermisbruik)
Editor: Wieke Wagemans (In Case Of Fire)
Sounddesign: Geert Van Gaalen. Jeroen Van Zwam
Artdirector: Jeroen Van Zwam (Publicis Amsterdam)
Agency Producer: Lotte De Rooij
Photographer: Olaf Van Gerwen (In Case Of Fire)
Soundstudio: Studio De Keuken

Client Brief Or Objective
-Create awareness of child prostitution an FREE A GIRL’s realistic approach.-Collect funds for new rescue teams and guest houses

Execution
PR plays a crucial role to put this confrontational campaign in the right perspective from the start:-The campaign was announced on the TV1 national news show One Today on March 14th. -The next day the PR team organised a pres conference, with Dutch celebrities acting as ambassadors. Amongst which the original founders of FREE A GIRL, Arjan van Erkel, a doctor who was held hostage himself for nearly two years in Dagestan, and actress and soccer babe Yolanthe Sneijder-Cabau. Providing interesting news items for national and local tv, the serious press as well as tabloids and showbizz magazines.-A documentary about FREE A GIRL’s approach was also shown at the event, giving more background information about the foundation and the girls featuring in the campaign.

Strategy
FREE A GIRL rescues child prostitutes, after which they are trained to be independent and ready for real life. Which means working hard and getting paid to local standards. This realistic insight is the basis for a confrontational campaign to collect funds and raise awareness of Free a girl’s approach. Featuring real rescued girls, saved from prostitution, and now working in regular jobs.This is not a campaign about tough working conditions in third world countries. It’s about freedom for young girls like Yaya, kept prisoner and used as child prostitutes.

Effectiveness
The PR kick-off was recent: March 14th 2013. Mainly due to PR-free publicity donations have already risen by 73% during the first three months of the campaign, compared with the same period last year.March 14th 2013 - March 14th 2012 + 51 %April 14th 2013 - April 14th 2012 + 78%May 14th 2013 - May 14th 2012 + 91 %-This is a net income rise, because Free a Girl has no advertising budget at all and depends on free ad space. -The trend is upward, so more donations can be expected, with a rising number of campaign items running in various media.And although FREE A GIRL has no marketing budget at all and everyone involved is working pro bono, a vast amount of free publicity has already been achieved:-TV items on nearly all national and local stations: TV1, AT5, RTL 4, SBS 6-An interview with campaign director Olaf van Gerwen-Press coverage in all major newspapers and blogs: Telegraaf, Volkskrant, Algemeen Dagblad, Metro, Spits, Nu.nl-Items in showbiz Magazines: Story, Privé

Campaign Description
Free a Girl is a Dutch NGO fighting child prostitution. Rescue teams enter illegal brothels, in cooperation with the local police, to rescue these girls. In guesthouses they can recover, receive education and job training. Because in the end they have to earn a living, A modest one, compared to Western standards. This realistic insight formed the basis for a confrontational campaign. Featuring real girls, rescued from prostitution and now working in regular jobs.This is not a campaign about tough working conditions in third world countries. This is about freedom for young girls, who were enslaved as child prostitutes.PR was crucial to put this unusual realistic campaign into the right perspective:-The campaign was announced on the TV1 national news show One Today on March 14th. -The next day the PR team organised a press conference, with Dutch celebrities as ambassadors, amongst whom the original founder of Free a Girl,Yolanthe Sneijder-Cabau. Providing news items for national and local tv, serious press and showbiz magazines.-A documentary about Free a Girl was shown at the event, giving background information. Although FREE A GIRL has no communication budget at all, a vast amount of free publicity has been achieved:-items on nearly all national tv-stations: TV1, AT5, RTL 4, SBS 6-An interview with director Olaf van Gerwen on Radio 1-Press coverage in major newspapers and blogs: Telegraaf, Volkskrant, Algemeen Dagblad, Metro, Spits, Nu.nl-Items in showbiz Magazines: Story, Privé

Relevancy
It’s hard to believe but around the world young girls, some only 8 or 9 years old, are kept prisoner and used as child prostitutes. FREE A GIRL is a Dutch NGO fighting child prostitution. Special rescue teams enter these illegal brothels, together with the local police, to rescue these girls. In special guesthouses they can recover and get some education and job training. Because in the end they have to earn their own money, like anyone else.