2023 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

On February 24, Russia launched an invasion across Ukraine. Western officials claimed that by scope, the war could be the largest in Europe since 1945.
In the first two months the toll on human life was devastating.

In response to the invasion, Razom, a non-profit supporting the people of Ukraine in their continued quest for democracy and progress, activated its emergency response fund to provide urgent help on the ground. It delivered tactical medicine items, hospital supplies and tech-enabled emergency response devices that facilitate the delivery of this aid. On average, it was sending 50 pallets of aid to Ukraine each week, and it made 330 deliveries in the first two months of the war. However, as Russia’s war raged on, the need to amplify Ukrainian voices and provide further aid was immense.

The goal was to raise five million dollars. To achieve this, it needed a campaign that would grab people’s attention and get national coverage with limited media support.

When Russia invaded Ukraine and Canadians witnessed death and destruction unfold in real time, we were all horrified. With the destruction and terror of this war happening 7,500 km away from the comfort of our own homes, our experience of it is entirely through our TVs, mobile phones and computer screens. So despite being shocked and dismayed watching the Ukrainian people suffer, it’s easy for those of us who aren’t living through the war to move on with our lives.

Because people are asked to donate on a regular basis, one of the biggest challenges all charitable causes face is making the cause personal. Simply put, people donate to
things that they have a personal relationship with. So how could Grey & TANK bring the war in Ukraine closer to home for Canadians?

On March 15, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a passionate speech to the House of Commons, challenging Canadians to think about what our lives would be like if we woke up one morning to tanks rolling down our streets. “Can you imagine [the] famous CN Tower, if it was hit by Russian bombs? Of course, I don’t wish this on anyone.
This is our reality.” He pleaded, “Feel this: what we feel every day.”

To raise humanitarian relief for war-torn Ukraine, the agency drew inspiration from
President Zelenskyy’s powerful plea. It was a plea that they knew could bring the impact of the war closer to home, and motivate Canadians to donate and provide the humanitarian relief so desperately needed.

The campaign forced Canadians to imagine what it would feel like,
firsthand, to experience Ukraine’s ravages of war by transforming their own familiar city landmarks such as the CN Tower in Toronto or Olympic Park in Montréal
into barely recognizable, battle ruins.

QR codes, anchored by Zelenskyy’s call to action, transported users to a web-based experience that allowed them to toggle between seeing what their thriving city landmark looks like today, and what that scene could look like after the devastation of war. And as the impact of that jarring experience took hold, those users were immediately prompted to contribute to the cause, just as users were truly
feeling what they feel in Ukraine.

The omni-channel campaign included integrated digital, 15s TV,
traditional and digital OOH, and a social media crusade.

And because the need for humanitarian aid grew in urgency with each passing day, time was not on the agency's side to launch the campaign. So, defying typical production timelines, it launched just under six weeks after Zelenskyy’s speech.

The campaign delivered 231.5M impressions worldwide within the first 24 hours. And the impact of that experience compelled visitors to donate to Ukraine fundraising, exceeding expectations two-fold. To date, over 10 million dollars has been raised.

These generous donations were put to good use. Razom was able to support Ukrainians in their fight for freedom by providing 53,000 individual first-aid kits, 138 pallets of trauma medical supplies, 50 defibrillators, 3 ambulances, 23 paramedic trucks, 4,000 walkie-talkies and 500 forensic rape kits.

Credits

Agency: Grey Canada / TANK Worldwide
Chief Creative Officer: Marty Martinez
Executive Creative Director: Mark Mason
Copywriters: Krista Raspor / Benoît Losier / Craig Redmond
Art Directors: Mark Mason / Camilo Monzón Navas
Designer: Eve Trudel-Lévesque
Chief Executive Officer: Marc Lanouette
Chief Marketing Officer: Jill Mastroianni
EVP, General Manager: Nicole Lupke
Director of Production: Neal Owusu
Digital and Technology Strategist: Jean-Philippe Georges
Senior Interactive Art Director: Alexandre Desjardins
Director of Social Strategy: Stephanie Granowicz
Head of Communications: Vanessa Grillot
Producer: Deena Archibald
Editor: Biko Franklin
Studio Manager: Patty Groff
Digital Web Agency: Kffein
Digital Web Agency CEO: David Guillemin
Project Manager: Valentin Arvis
Creative Technologists: Gabriel Corbel / Guillaume Tomasi
Visual Effects Company: Rodeo FX
Head of Art Department: Deak Ferrand
Head of Department Matte Painting: Frederic St-Arnaud
Environment Artist: Sarah Haddab
Video Post-Production Compositors: Nicolas Laprise Pellicelli / Caroline Brien
VFX Supervisor: Erik Gagnon
Video Post-Production Producer: Carolie Legault-Lanouette
PR Company: Hill + Knowlton Strategies
PR Company Vice-President, Quebec: Patrice Lavoie
PR Company Senior Advisor: Maxime Belanger
Media Company: Group M
Client: Razom
Human Rights Defender: Kamila Orlova