Case Study: The F word, famine is the real obscenity

Problem:

“Drought may be an act of nature, but famine is not. The current crisis in the Horn of Africa is a man-made disaster that could have been avoided. But we don't have the necessary political will to stop the starving – and its causes. As a consequence, millions are affected and tens of thousands of children have died. Communities in Africa can cope with droughts and natural disasters. But we need leaders to invest in early warning systems and safety net programmes to help people become resilient to these hazards. And we need donors to put resources toward better seeds, irrigation and sustainable farming education. By acting now, we can help 200 million people from poor farming families grow more food and raise their incomes.” One: Online 

Campaign:

ONE release a video ad called ‘The F word: Famine is the real obscenity’. It features celebrities such as Ewan McGregor, George Clooney and Jessica Alba appear to say the F-word, before it is revealed they are actually saying the word ”famine”. It was aimed and raising awareness of famine in the horn of Africa.

Outcome:

The video created publicity for the charity and raised awareness of famine in Africa portraying the message that famine is man-made. 

Conclusion:

One used celebrities in a viral ad campaign to raise awareness of their charity and famine in Africa. This was controversial as at first it appeared the celebrities were swearing as they started to say famine the word is censored and the mouth is covered. Although not a fundraising campaign ‘We’re not asking for your money, were asking for your voice’ being the key message of the video, it raised massive awareness and buzz around the charity and its cause. Perhaps viral video or celebrity backings are potential ways in which Traid could cheaply give publicity and raise brand awareness.

The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity

Other:

Another example of charities using viral videos is the Make Poverty History, Click campaign which also used celebrities and the shock factor. It features celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz and Liam Neeson, in which each click of their fingers denotes the death of a child from extreme poverty. The video was intended to appear on TV and radio but were banned by Ofcom (the communications regulator) in 2005 for being too political; despite being banned – or perhaps because of it – the ad generated endless press coverage giving massive exposure for the charity and its cause.

Make Poverty History - Click campaign

AMY LAURA BURT