2013 Gold Best use of Experiential

Client RNLI

How did the campaign make a difference? RNLI's traditional strategy was to present itself as the charity that saves lives at sea. But more people die by drowning than by any other accident except road traffic accidents. "Respect the Water" is an umbrella idea that focusses on potential dangers of the water without demonising it.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? 80% of the approximately 480 people who drown in the UK every year are men aged from 35 to 60. Most are killed while walking along the coast, swimming, or by falling into open water. The effects of alcohol are at the heart of many of these accidents, along with small margins: stepping a little too close to the edge, or swimming a little too far out. Research showed the target audience was invariably unaware of the risks and vastly over-estimated their abilities should they get into trouble. The aim was to make them aware while not demonising the water. To get into their mindset, a behavioural economics workshop gave insights that shaped messaging. Men relate to and react to facts, so drowning experts ensured all messaging was scientifically correct and as powerful as possible.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? The target audience believe that drowning won't happen to them. They are strong swimmers; if something goes wrong, someone will rescue them; and if everyone's doing it, it can't be dangerous. This campaign used a tone of voice that spoke like a mate, and a visual identity that was charming yet masculine. Ambient experiential was key (with Facebook and Twitter); it included a tonne or cubic metre of water, and a punchbag filled with 250kg of water. Asking men to take on these objects physically, reinforced the message that water's the opponent that will never tire. International rugby player James Haskell created hype on launch day by joining activity in Brighton. Plus over 20,000 bespoke pint glasses printed with Respect the Water messaging were distributed in pubs close to the water to talk of the dangers when mixing water with alcohol. The experiential was supported by contextual radio and outdoor.

Results Over 1,000 people engaged with the experiential. A #respectthewater hashtag and campaign-specific content for RNLI's Facebook page made it simple to track reach: 7.4 million people over the three weeks the campaign was live. Reach for the radio ads was 13 million; even ITV and BBC picked up the story, reaching a further 767,000 viewers. Despite being a pilot for the south-east of England, the campaign's even been picked up in social media by lifeboat crews and others in New Zealand, USA and Ireland.

Team Alice Hooper – Founder and Director, Kit Altin – Founder and Director, Beri Cheetham – Executive Creative Director, Ben Newman – Copywriter, Milo Williams – Art Director, Charlotte Bachholdt – Account Director, Megan Kelly – Account Manager, Rory Neighbour – Head of Art, Steve Watkins – Head of Research

Other Contributors Firefish – Research, qualitative and quantitative, Hothouse – Production of ambient elements, OMD – Media planning and buying