THE WORLD’S TALLEST DONATION BOX
Brand | THE MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES |
Product/Service | THE MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES |
Entrant | THE MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM GLOBAL INITIATIVES Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
Category | Innovative Use of Technology |
Idea Creation
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MULLENLOWE MENA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
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Media Placement
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UNIVERSAL MEDIA Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
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PR
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MARKETTIERS4DC London, UNITED KINGDOM
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Production
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THE CONFESSIONAL London, UNITED KINGDOM
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Background
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when millions were losing their jobs, those that needed our help most were forgotten and left to suffer. As charitable donations plummeted globally, the billions that would normally have been donated to the needy; had simply dried up and millions were unable to receive the support they required to live. In the UAE, those most affected by this backlash were the hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers, whose income is vital in putting food on the table. We answered an ordinary food donation brief from an NGO, where our challenge became to encourage donations at a time where charity had never been closer to home. The reality was that the world had stopped donating. We created a unique donation mechanic, unlike anything seen before, with an objective to capture people’s attention and, ultimately, turn a charitable cause into worldwide entertainment.
Describe the strategy
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when millions were losing their jobs, those that needed our help most were forgotten and left to suffer. As charitable donations plummeted globally, the billions that would normally have been donated to the needy; had simply dried up and millions were unable to receive the support they required to live. In the UAE, those most affected by this backlash were the hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers, whose income is vital in putting food on the table. We answered an ordinary food donation brief from an NGO, where our challenge became to encourage donations at a time where charity had never been closer to home. The reality was that the world had stopped donating. We created a unique donation mechanic, unlike anything seen before, with an objective to capture people’s attention and, ultimately, turn a charitable cause into worldwide entertainment.
Describe the execution
The World's Tallest Donation Box was a multi-faceted and highly-innovative digital campaign that leveraged the power of modern technology, cross-channel marketing techniques and a unique online donation mechanic to provide 1.2 million meals to those most affected during the global pandemic, while utilising the Burj Khalifa's light display in a way never seen before. Over seven days, strategic digital and offline promotion, including the use of social media, influencer marketing, TV and radio, drove doners to the initiative's specially-developed microsite, which displayed the 1.2 million pixels for sale – each representing a light and a meal. Once donors had selected and purchased their lights, the site's back-end pushed updates to the Burj Khalifa's display servers in real-time, which lit the world's tallest building's lights in a gleaming display of hope and solidarity.
List the results
The campaign was expected to reach its target within one month of launching. In just seven days, all 1.2 million lights were sold, thanks to the generous donations from people of 110 nations and many global brands including Amazon, McDonalds, Unilever, Atlantis Resorts, VISA, West Zone, Tristar Group, Chalhoub Group. What started as a tall ask, quickly became a shining example of human generosity, with USD 3.3 million raised in food aid and just over 1.2 million meals donated. The initiative was covered over 400 times by news outlets, worldwide, and reached a staggering 4.3 billion people.
USD 3.3 million raised in 7 days
1.2 million lights illuminated
1.2 million meals donated
166 countries reached
110 donor countries
4.3 billion media reach
1000+ online articles
400+ TV News stories worldwide
500 + Radio
175 million video views
3 million+ website visits in 7 days
USD 6.7 million in free marketing
Credits
Mounir Harfouche |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Chief Executive Officer |
Matthew Butterworth |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Managing Director |
Paul Banham |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Regional Executive Creative Director |
Prerna Mehra |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Creative Director & Head of Design |
Greg Brown |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Copywriter |
Zaheer Abbas |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Art Director |
Mohammed Jawad |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Motion Graphic Designer |
Mounir Mohammed |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Creative Services Director |
Rami Ghanem |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Group Account Director |
Amina El Ashry |
MullenLowe MENA FZ LLC |
Account Management |
Khaled Al Shehhi |
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives |
Client |
Latifa Almaarzooqi |
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives |
Client |
Ghaya AlBannay |
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives |
Client |
Sherouk Maher |
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives |
Client |
Ahmed Sari |
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives |
Client |
Harsh Ashtekar |
Calm Ray |
Production |
Jon Joseph |
Calm Ray |
Production |
Damien Courage |
The Confessional |
Production |
Perry Cooper |
The Confessional |
Production |
Jay Booth |
The Confessional |
Production |
Links
Supporting Webpage