Five charity campaigns that inspired in a time of COVID
No-one knows who coined the phrase, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. Whoever it was, they got it right. 2020 was probably one of the toughest charities have ever faced. But every cloud has a silver lining.
Looking back over this last year, you should be proud of the way the sector has responded, and of the creativity, resilience and determination charities showed - despite the sudden removal of traditional face-to-face means and methods.
There are the big wins of course, like NHS Charities Together (£100M+), the National Emergencies Trust (£94M+), The Big Night In (£74M+), 2.6 Challenge (£11M+) and #GivingTuesday (£20M for the December event). But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, and we want to use this post to share our five favourite campaigns launched in a time of corona.
1. GOSH: Home for Christmas
‘Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) wants to give every child the best chance to be home for Christmas’, and their 2020 end of year campaign did just that. With a dedicated landing page that invites visitors to explore the world of GOSH at Christmas, the highlight is the animated film that shows little Mia’s journey home. A beautiful animation that cuts to life at home, there is a simplicity and warmth to this story that cannot fail to touch supporter’s hearts. That’s just the start. What we love about this campaign is how it ripples across the team’s broader fundraising activities. Whether it’s an online auction (which raised £191,303) Christmas gift guide or social media snapshots of Christmas at home – the message is loud and clear.
2. Crisis: In this together
The government told us all to ‘Stay at home’. But what do you do if you haven’t got a home to go to? Responding to increased need on the ground, Crisis launched this new campaign to fund outreach work and grassroots initiatives supporting homeless people through the global pandemic. Launched at the end of March last year, emails, social media and radio content soon followed, with celebrity actress Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge, Harry Potter) also lending her voice to the appeal. There’s even a dedicated campaign t-shirt courtesy of Hush! Selected as one of the charity beneficiaries for The Big Night In, this campaign saw the Crisis team up their emergency grant fund from £250,000 to £1 million. That’s the real success. Because this appeal didn’t just support Crisis’ own work, it funded over 150 organisations across the UK. Now that’s collaboration!
3. Royal Marsden Cancer Charity: Celebrate a life
Every year for the past 16 years, supporters of the Royal Marsden ‘Celebrate a life’ campaign have placed their star of remembrance on the trees outside Sutton and Chelsea hospitals. Hundreds of people would gather together to sing carols and raise funds to help change the lives of cancer patients across the country. This year, COVID-19 meant that things had to be done a little differently. With a virtual tree and carol services, the magic moved online. A total of 2,700 stars shone brightly on the digital tree (up 8% from 2019) which holds the stories and memories of supporters far and wide. More than 350 people tuned in to watch the carol service online. The result? £112,000 and a new campaign record. Shared across social media with the hashtag #Celebratealife, we love the virtual turn this event took and the way the team harnessed the power of digital to grow the impact of their campaign.
4. The British Red Cross: Kindness will keep us together
We love this campaign because it’s about more than money. Whether you reached out to a vulnerable friend or neighbour, signed up as a community volunteer, or made a donation – this campaign is built on the ethos ‘kindness matters most’. Of course, they use all the channels we’ve seen before. There’s TV and radio ads, web content and social media. The campaign grew and grew, it even used iconic artists to help share their message and ask that all-important question: ‘What did you do?’ It worked. Research shows that between March and May 2020, 43 million people did something kind to help others. Perhaps you noticed the massive billboard on Piccadilly Circus thanking everyone for their contribution? A great example of giving back, and supporter relationships in action.
5. Marie Curie: On hold
Empty beaches, theatres, bars and stadiums. Life is on hold. ‘We wish we could put terminal illness on hold too. But we can’t’. With events cancelled, charity shops closed and street fundraisers at home, this campaign helped keep Marie Curie nurses providing end-of-life care for communities across the UK. Created – at no cost – by Saatchi & Saatchi, we love it’s cross-channel approach. The TV and radio ads are simple, powerful and effective, with social media giving supporters the chance to check-in on its protagonist (Lin) by reading her blog and following her progress on Instagram. A relatable face telling an inescapably human story, it was hard not to engage. Sadly, Lin passed away in June 2020, but this campaign – her legacy – is an important reminder of the work that must go on within and beyond the corona crisis.
‘You said it was a privilege to be able to share your story with Marie Curie, but the truth is the privilege was all ours. Thank you so much for everything, Lin.’ A letter to Lin Dalton, Marie Curie
We could go on.
We know the last couple of years haven't been the best. But when the going gets tough, take some time to look back on everything your charity achieved so far. Be proud of what you have done, and what you are working to do. Because campaigns like this show us just how creative, resilient and determined the sector is to keep on shining through.
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