We Are Water Foundation: BARCELONA WORLD RACE

Credits & Description:

Category: Charity and Not for Profit

Advertiser: WE ARE WATER FOUNDATION

Product/Service: BARCELONA WORLD RACE

Agency: TIEMPO BBDO

Agency: BURSON-MARSTELLER BARCELONA

Chief Creative Officer: Siscu Molina (Tiempo BBDO)

Creative Director: Jordi Comas (Tiempo BBDO)

Strategy/Communication Executive Director: Bibiana Del Alcázar (Tiempo BBDO)

Strategy/Communication Executive Director: Pepa Bartolomé (Tiempo BBDO)

Strategy/Communication Supervisor: Rosa B. Roy (Tiempo BBDO)

Art Director: David Freixanet (Tiempo BBDO)

Copywriter: Juan Fernández (Tiempo BBDO)

TV Production Manager: Anna Morell (Tiempo BBDO)

Communication Manager: Xavier Torras (Roca)

Copywriter: Álber Fernández (Tiempo BBDO)

Media placement: Corporate Communication - Message Support Via Web - January to May 2011

Media placement: Corporate Communication - Message Support Via Press - January to May 2011



Summary of the Campaign

One of the Foundation’s main aims is to carry out actions of all kinds designed to mitigate the negative effects of the lack of adequate water resources in the most affected areas of the planet.



These actions are made possible by donations from people and organisations that have learned about the Foundation’s mission and the projects it carries out, and understood the seriousness of the problem. That is why one of the priorities of the Foundation in its first year was to publicise not only the Foundation as such, but also all the projects that were under way.



The following case study summarises how advantage was taken of the opportunity to sponsor a yacht in the Barcelona World Race in order to disseminate the Foundation’s aims and each of its projects throughout the world. It also shows how a concept was found to link this sponsorship to the Foundation’s activity and get the media broadcasting the event to join our cause, which resulted in far greater coverage than expected with hardly any investment.



Co-ordination between the communication platforms of the We Are Water, the Barcelona World Race and the collaborating NGOs played a key role in the campaign’s success.



The Situation

Just a few months after its presentation, the We Are Water Foundation needed to make itself and the various projects and initiatives it was carrying out better known. Only in this way would it increase the donations it received and thus be able to continue carrying out projects in the most affected areas of the planet.



A few weeks before the start of the Barcelona World Race, an opportunity arose for the Foundation to 'sponsor' one of the yachts.



The Barcelona World Race provided us with the necessary coverage to disseminate our solidarity message throughout the world.



The Goal

To publicise the drinking water recovery projects the Roca We Are Water Foundation has across the world.



To make society aware of a little-known issue that will generate one of the biggest social conflicts this century.



To show that even in extreme conditions minimum water consumption is possible.



The Strategy

We sought a concept that would justify a foundation like We Are Water 'taking part' in a sports event such as the Barcelona World Race: a non-stop, round-the-world yacht race for crews of 2.



Eventually it was decided to turn the whole race into a communication medium. In other words, what originally arose as a chance to enhance the brand’s visibility, ended up by becoming an adventure in which the main goal of 2 sailors was to take the Foundation’s message right round the world. And there was no better vehicle for this than the Barcelona World Race.



This is how the concept, 'Some messages should go round the world', was born.



Execution

Everything the We Are Water ship did was under the concept of 'some messages should go round the world'.



In the weeks leading up to the start of the race, material was shot on the preparation of the ship, focus on the importance of (fresh) water during the coming weeks.



During the race (January to May 2011), whenever the yacht crossed a meridian where the Foundation was supporting a project, the crew and members of the NGOs sent a message of support via the internet and the press. We broadcast the whole journey live in a 14-chapter online documentary for more than 4 months. We set up a website with a logbook and an interactive map where users could make donations and leave messages of support for the crew.



In this way, among the news items produced by the race itself, we also obtained coverage for each of the projects and the Foundation.



Documented Results

A Spanish ship sailing round the world in the Barcelona World Race, starting from and returning to Barcelona, captures the attention of the country’s media and the international media, as there is no other round-the-world, 2-person-crew race only for sailing boats.



In summary:



- coverage by 1,290 media from all over the world.



- an audience of 107,626,145 people.



- advertising value (ROI): €1,282,095.92 (euro).