Client: MyGoodDeed, HandsOn Network (leading organizers of 9/11 day)
PR agency: GOOD/Corps
Campaign: I Will (pay tribute)
Duration: April-present
Strategic creative consultancy GOOD/Corps sought to turn the 10th anniversary of 9/11 into the largest day of charitable service in US history. To do this, it encouraged as many members of the public as possible to pledge to perform a charitable service or good deed on 9/11.
Strategy
GOOD/Corps developed the creative platform and knew it had to focus on initiatives that would drive mass awareness of the effort to help reach its goal.
Tactics
The team created 911day.org, an interactive website for people to share and submit pledges; broadcast, radio, and Web PSAs featuring celebrities and everyday people; two Facebook apps, one that allowed people to make tributes and another that connected them with different nationwide volunteer initiatives; a public sculpture at the Viacom headquarters; promotional partnerships with the NFL, MLB, and NASCAR; and multimedia advertising.
Results
The team was able to garner more than 100,000 pledges for positive actions and secured 600,000 volunteers for organized charitable events in 24 states. The hashtag #IWill was used 6,500 times and on 9/11 the campaign became the number-one global trending topic on Twitter.
The initiative attracted more than 1 million unique visitors to 911day.org and 300,000-plus Facebook fans.
"'I Will' truly activates the public's desire to make a positive contribution and encourages participation," says MyGoodDeed president David Paine.
Future
Organizers are pleased with the results of this year's campaign. They are working to continue the conversation with the community and are planning a larger initiative for next year.
Kirk Souder, executive creative director for GOOD/Corps, explains that the ultimate objective is to extend the effort beyond 9/11.
"Just like Valentine's Day is a day to say, 'I love you,' 9/11 is a day to pay tribute and do something good for someone else in the name of someone we lost," adds Souder.
