Buy The Sky
Royal Flying Doctor Service, Australia
Issue 29 | December 2013
Agency
Havas Worldwide, Sydney
Creative Team
Executive Creative Director Steve Coll Creative Group Head Chris Johnson Creative Team Chris Johnson Dave Ladd Paris Giannakis Digital Creative Director Jay Morgan Digital Design Adam Shutler Design Darren Cole David Sark
Production Team
Print Production Chris Hulsman Bridget Brice Digital Production Jeronimo De Leon Shiv Suchdeva TV Production Ros Payne Editing & Effects Method Music Music Song Zu Digital Build Blu Arc
Other Credits
Group Account Director Dan Smith Senior Account Director Ben Fayol Account Director Zoe Potter Planning Phil Johnston Anthony Dever PR, Red Agency James Wright Nick Day Will Roch
Date
October 2013
Background
The Royal Flying Doctor Service was Australia's largest and most comprehensive aeromedical and healthcare organisation. It relied on public donations to be able to continue operating its life-saving service.
They wanted to build support for their work as well as to raise funds.
Idea
A campaign was created offering Australians the chance to buy their own patch of sky along selected flight paths within Australian air-space. For a AU $50 tax-deductible donation, supporters could buy a one km square patch of virtual sky with specific co-ordinates. Every purchaser was issued with a certificate showing their name and their patch of sky.
Purchasers also received updates about Royal Flying Doctor Service activity in their air-space via email or social media.
Results
Within days of the campaign launch on October 9th, it was estimated 31 million people had been reached.
220 patches of sky had been sold by the time of submission to Directory with many more expected. 69% of buyers subscribed to further flight alerts. 21% of buyers were buying patches as gifts.
The campaign had yet to launch in some parts of Australia so the results are incomplete.
Our Thoughts
Ten years ago we had ‘above the line’, which was brand building advertising that used TV and outdoor and we had ‘below the line’, which was direct marketing through mail and response advertising. Now we have both and this is as good an example as any of what I mean, advertising that does all the jobs at once – raising awareness and raising funds at the same time.
What makes it all possible is the website, of course, where you can marvel at the sheer size of Australia and then, of course, at the service the RFDS offers, covering its 7.7 million square km. They have turned a visit into an experience. I found myself using the Google maps facility to search for human habitation and found none.
Great idea for a wonderful service.