Red Button
RED NOSES Clowndoctors
Issue 34 | March 2015
Agency
Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann
Creative Team
Creative Directors Franz Merlicek Arno Reisenbuechler Roman Steiner Alexander Hofmann Francesco Bestagno Art Director Robert Dassel Copywriters Arno Reisenbuechler Hieronymus Kloss Digital Creatives Robert Dassel Rene Wegscheider Motion Graphic Angelika Schneider
Production Team
Agency Producers Juergen Madl Katharina Luerzer Film Production Ping Pong Communications Soundstudio Tic Music Digital TV Partner A1 TV Network ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4
Other Credits
Account Supervisor Daniela Berlini Account Manager Andrea Muehleder
Date
April 2014
Background
Red Noses Clowndoctors were specially trained to give hope and courage to sick children. They depended on donations to be able to do their work. However, raising money from TV advertising was not easy. People would see the url or the phone number of where to donate but couldn't memorise the details.
As a result, only 3.4% of Red Noses donations came via television.
Idea
In co-operation with both A1 Vodafone, one of the largest digital TV networks in Austria and with ProSiebenSat.1 PULS 4, the country's main private TV company, an innovative solution was found, making donations to Red Noses easier than ever.
The idea was to push the red button on the A1 remote control into a red nose. As easy as that, a touch of the button became an instant donation of 2 Euros to Red Noses. TV spots and cut-ins invited people to press the red button, or more specifically, the red nose, and bring joy to a sick child.
No registration required, no credit cards, just a small addition to the viewer's monthly TV bill.
The red nose remote created a sense of a real connection to the charity, which was enhanced when, after every donation, a clown popped up on-screen to deliver a personalised message of thanks.
Results
The red button transformed TV as a medium for generating donations. Its share of total monthly money raised went from 3.4% of the total to 31.7%.
On average, 1,200 Euros were donated every day, an increase of 69% over previous months.
Donation behaviour could be completely transformed by this simple idea. And one-day every A1 TV viewer could associate the red button with Red Noses.
Our Thoughts
D&AD has its White Pencil and Cannes has the Chimaera initiative, both of which are competitions to demonstrate that advertising has the power to do much good in the world. Especially now. Technology is capable of so much more than we are asking of it. What is missing is imagination. The world needs ideas urgently to help make it a better place. And that is why the advertising industry is at the very heart of change today, because of its people, its clever, imaginative people. People like the team at Demner, Merlicek & Bergmann who have found the sweetspot where technology, people and brands all meet.