As part of a new campaign created by agency BBH for the British charity Missing People, moviegoers will be asked to do something quite extraordinary: turn on their phones.
An emotionally distraught young man breaks down in a phone booth with the steady hum of a dial tone signifying that he can’t bring himself to make a call–presumably to the heartbroken woman waiting in hopeless silence at home. Steeling his nerves for the decision he finally makes, he dials a number and is greeted with a simple, “Hello” as the film comes to a dramatic pause.
Continuing to raise awareness for their cause and to launch their new hotline number, the British charity Missing People brought on agency BBH to create the “Please turn your phone on” campaign, a multi-facted endeavor featuring an interactive spot and posters.
After the film stops, moviegoers and people watching on TV will be prompted to dial a number in order to hear the resulting conversation. Posters utilizing NFC technology will also enable those with smartphones to find out what was said between the troubled young man and the woman on the line. Even for those who don’t make the call, what transpires at the end of the spot makes it clear the effect Missing People has had on families torn apart by the disappearance of a loved one.
The phone call element of the campaign has been further supported with interactive posters, donated by washroom contractor partner Admedia, in a charity media-first, using NFC technology from their ‘Connections’ brand. The interactive posters will be placed in leisure and travel destinations nationwide & consumers will be able to hear the call made by the boy on the poster, simply by scanning their NFC phone over the NFC logo. Their phone will then connect them straight to the call within a few seconds.
The film is also supported by print and digital out-of-home media, provided by JCDecaux, CBS Outdoor, Amscreen, Primesight, Clear Channel, Outdoor Plus, Ocean Outdoor and BlowUp Media.
This element is made possible via the charity’s new partners: the Outdoor Media Centre and digital outdoor production specialist, Grand Visual.
Martin Houghton-Brown, chief executive of the charity Missing People said, “Our brief to BBH was challenging: can you raise awareness of a vital new number for a charity whose work is not well known or understood? They have managed to create a campaign which communicates in space of 30 seconds, why the charity exists, and who we are here to help. What’s more it communicates the number in the most effective way possible. Thanks to BBH and our partners Grand Visual, the Outdoor Media Centre and its members including Admedia, we now have a campaign that will help to ensure that everyone who needs it knows where to turn if the worst should happen.”
Source: Missing People / BBH
