British Red Cross | CONFLICT
Using the power of brand to reinvent DRTV
The Brief.
In stark contrast to the emergency appeals for the latest conflict that occupies front pages and leads the nightly news, long-term conflict in DRTV can often go unsupported and underfunded.
The challenge: as conflicts rage on, how can the British Red Cross maintain the same level of urgency, attention and – crucially – income in underfunded conflict zones such as Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan?
The Insight.
Research showed that the volume of online media coverage surrounding the Ukraine conflict steadily decreased from 520k articles in the first week of the invasion, down to 70k in September 2022. More worryingly social media engagement around news articles published about Ukraine dropped dramatically between the first week of the conflict and 3rd June 2022.
This exact pattern can be seen in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen and all the other wars that rage on far longer than our attention spans can handle. As the world moves on, the column inches get smaller, the cameras leave and the world begins to forget. But the British Red Cross don’t forget. And they don’t leave. They stay on the ground to support families and people on the ground who need them most.
The Work.
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Campaign Proposition and Messaging
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Creative Approach and Concepting
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DRTV and Film Production, Direction, Social Content
Given the challenges around filming in active conflict zones, the approach had to be strategic and conceptual. The concept was stripped right back and concentrated on a simple idea; a dynamic and direct piece-to-camera.
As a result, the film focuses on a heartfelt plea from a British Red Cross staff member in an area of conflict. But, as the conceptual device unfolds and the cameras leave, moving on to the next “breaking news” story in the cycle, the staff member remains in the centre of conflict, hands-on to support. Just as The Red Cross does in reality.
The campaign launched in November 2022 as Ukranian forces drove Russian troops beyond their borders for the first time since the conflict began.
