Red Cross: EXTINGUISH WITH RED CROSS

Credits & Description:

Category: Best Localised Campaign

Advertiser: CANADIAN RED CROSS

Product/Service: RED CROSS

Agency: COSSETTE

Date of First Appearance: Feb 7 2011

Entrant Company: COSSETTE , Montreal, CANADA

Chief Creative Officer: Michel De Lauw (Cossette)

Executive Creative Director: Antoine Bécotte (Cossette)

Executive Creative Director: Carlos Garavito (Cossette)

Creative Director/Making Of: Jonathan Rouxel (Cosssette)

Copywriter: Anne-Laure Naumowicz (Cossette)

Account Manager: Armelle Dubourg (Cossette)

Media Strategy: Véronic Cholette-Roberts (Cossette)

Making Of: Jean-René Parenteau (Cossette)

Agency Producer: Stéphanie Côté (Cossette)

Media placement: TV Campaign- 1 Spot - SRC, CBC - 7 February 2011



Insights, Strategy & the Idea



The Canadian Red Cross is most often mentioned in the media for its international efforts. It has been strongly recognised for its outstanding work in Haiti in 2010. However, most of the achievements actually come from work they do in communities across the country. Its areas of expertise include local disaster management, first aid and CPR, swimming and water safety, abuse prevention, homecare services and health equipment access, amongst others. In Canada, the Red Cross has 6,500 employees and 35,000 volunteers. Many local disasters (domestic fires, natural disasters, internal conflicts or other emergencies) occur at the beginning of the year. This is also a key time for the CRC, as its volunteer recruiting and donation campaigns are very active. Most people feel that local disasters only happen to others; however, they are more common than we think. We had to find an impactful way to show that they can strike everywhere.



Creative Execution

In order to raise awareness about its local disaster management actions during this important period, the Canadian Red Cross launched a TV ad in Quebec. The ad featured images of flames projected onto Quebec houses and buildings, with curious bystanders looking on.

Instead of showing images of spectacular fires, the team projected flames on real buildings to produce a stunning effect and reinforce the fact that nobody can predict where fire strikes. By producing the ad in real streets with a very ´documentary¹ look and feel, it also made the situation even more involving and created word of mouth. The production was also extremely cost-efficient, the way non-profit organisation ads should be.



Results and Effectiveness

Donations and volunteer enrolment increased over the past year, while all other components of the communications remained the same.