2016 Winners & Shortlists

The Brief

Many campaigns have been tackling the Syrian refugee crisis, but none of them reflected the refugees’ real living conditions and suffering in winter. The world was aware of their plight, but awareness alone does not save lives, and donations are still insufficient. So, to raise more awareness and encourage further donations that could keep the refugees warm in a bitter winter, we had to bridge the distance between refugees and the online audience and amplify the refugees’ voices worldwide. Alwaleed Philanthropies and UNHCR used on-ground technology and Twitter, launching Tweet for Heat to reach an ever-growing online and Twitter audience.

Creative Execution

We created heat-monitoring devices and fixed them to refugee tents across camps in different countries in December 2015. In the beginning of January 2016, the devices automatically started tweeting personal messages from the refugees along with the temperature in the tents, three times a day. The messages then appeared on Twitter at #tweetforheat and on the simultaneously launched website www.tweetforheat.com. Through the website, users can donate to save lives and see the warmth effect of the donations, retweet refugees’ messages to spread more awareness, view the temperatures in each of the refugee camps in different countries, and watch the refugees’ stories and routines of their daily lives.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

Within less than a month, total tweets increased to 38,000+; donations reached $633,000; 5,275 refugees are saved, and the warmth continues.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

The Tweet for Heat campaign involves the use of on-ground technology and social media to engage the every-growing Twitter audience, bridging the distance between Syrian refugees and potential donors and philanthropists. Personal messages directly from Syrian refugees along with temperatures of their camps are automatically tweeted through a dedicated hashtag #tweetforheat, conveying their harsh living conditions during winter, and directing the engaged audience to the campaign’s website where they can donate to help.