100 Day Challenge

Background

The ugly truth is that both gamblers themselves and the wider community see gambling not as an addiction but rather a weakness of character. While advertising could raise awareness, it could only go so far in helping problem gamblers feel empowered to actually seek help.

Due to the stigma associated with gambling addiction, less than 10% of problem gamblers ever sought help. The objectives were simple: increase awareness and increase participation rates in treatment programs.

Idea

Working with clinical psychologists, a new, online treatment program was created, which was inherently public and social.

Once registered with the site, gamblers could set personal goals, check in, recruit supporters from their social networks and record their journey in private video diaries.

To promote the 100 Day Challenge, footage from the video diaries of four real gambling addicts was used as content for television, radio, outdoor, in-venue and digital advertising.

TV, radio and digital content was continually updated as the participants battled through their 100 days. These personal diaries allowed (for the first time) the broadcast of a realistic, factual, documented reality of problem gambling addiction. The progress of the four brave participants undertaking the 100 day challenge brought together gamblers, their loved ones, and the wider community to create an online community support network.

Results

The first objective of the campaign was to increase awareness of treatment programs from 10% to 25%.

Secondly, to increase the number of problem gamblers formally seeking help from 10% to 15%.

Lastly, only 10% of Victoria's problem gamblers had participated in any form of treatment program. The last objective was to have 1% of Victoria's problem gambling population participate in the new treatment program.

As a result of 'The 100 Day Challenge':

• Within 3 months, 16% of known problem gamblers were enrolled in the program. That is 60% more people seeking treatment than ever before – from this one program alone.
• Over 50 news outlets in Australia created over 2 million media impressions.
• 56% of problem gamblers were aware of the programme.

Our Thoughts

One of the most important campaigns of the last five years was Draft FCB Auckland’s work for New Zealand’s National Depression Initiative. It was ground-breaking in that it showed how direct marketing techniques could successfully be applied to a public health issue. This is in the same mould. Advertising is no longer just getting brands to become civic- minded but is creating the platforms to help governments deliver to their responsibilities. Agencies no longer need to stay at the margins, they can become central to social change.

Full credit to the stellar team at McCann’s Melbourne who have moved on from ‘Dumb Ways To Die’ to smarter ways to live.