The Happiest Mother’s Day Card: how love for our mums helped mothers around the world
Oxfam
Issue 32 | September 2014
Agency
Proximity London
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director: John Treacy Creative Director: Nick Moffat Art Director: Neil Williamson Copywriter: Alex Buchanan-Dunlop Senior Creative Producer: Kathy Howes Managing Partner: Nick Myers Senior Account Manager: Charlotte Baker Planning: Dayve Talbot Project Director: Shahin Ali
Production Team
Artist: Lizzie Mary Cullen Artist Agent: Trina Wydmanski at Phosphorart Creative technology solution, hardware & website integration: Grand Visual Creative Technology Director: Dan Dawson (Grand Visual) Production Director: Ben Putland (Grand Visual) Producer: Giles Osborne (Grand Visual) Technologist: Michael Farrance (Grand Visual)
Other Credits
Supporter Development Manager: John Lucas Marketing and Communications Officer: Esme Butterfield
Date
March 2014
Background
Oxfam's Motherhood Appeal is an annual event, which celebrates mums around the world. They are the true agents of change, the glue that holds families together, yet they often get the roughest deal of all.
The appeal was pushed through multiple channels, and it rolled out digitally. The client wanted a PR buzz, data for subsequent appeals, and donations too.
So, to make the appeal resonate with people here, the focus was on the day we think about our mums the most – Mothers' Day. The action of writing a card was connected for our own mums with the appeal.
Idea
It didn't take much research to learn that mums are loved and we're not afraid to show it. But research did say something invaluable: the UK leads the world in giving and displaying cards.
With this in mind, the idea was to create 'The Happiest Mothers' Day Card' in a 5 day event, which brought live and digital together for public displays of affection. The more affection that came in, the happier the Mother's day card became.
So how did it work?
Firstly, users dedicated a square to their mum online, and filled it with a happy message. The bespoke 'listening' software then identified new dedications so a custom algorithm could convert them into a grid. Next the grid was projected onto a huge canvas in real time, using an ultra-bright short throw laser. And finally, the artist would fill the outlined grid with beautiful illustrations.
Once the space had been filled, the dedicator was sent an email which directed them to their square. The process of making that dedication also acted as data capture for future campaigns, and inspired donations too. Obviously, you could then also forward the link to your mum.
The fact that the dedications were both public and personal made the message even more touching and it was all underpinned by the feel-good effect of knowing that you were also helping mums around the world.
People don't always like sharing their acts of charity in the social space – usually only when it's in support of someone they directly know. But seeing a personal online message be translated into a real world painting gave us a unique platform that encouraged sharing and facilitated a natural chain of connected reciprocation.
Results
There were over 80,000 hits to the site, including over 4,300 dedications online and hundreds more through social media. That equates to one dedication for every minute that the artist was at work. Oxfam's main site traffic was also up 200% from normal levels.
But perhaps best of all, mums like Sayantha have a dairy cooperative which is giving their community new life. A widow from the Sri Lankan conflict, she's a proud mum. "Everything I do is for my daughters", she says. Just one of the many mothers we're honoured to have helped.