British Skin Foundation campaign
The skin disease charity's proactive photo campaign raised £20k
Organisation: British Skin Foundation
Campaign: Scratching the Surface
Agency: (Beta)
Last year, the British Skin Foundation, which funds research into skin disease, employed the creative agency (Beta) to put together a provocative new campaign. The aim was to raise funds for the charity and increase awareness about the work it does.
For the Scratching the Surface campaign, the renowned photographer Rankin took a series of photos showing models covered in insects, barbed wire or broken skin to convey the discomfort felt by people with skin disease. Under the black and white photos, a text box asked people to donate by text message to the charity.
Phil Brady, director of fundraising at the charity, says the photos were unveiled at a donor event in September at the National Portrait Gallery in London. He says they will now be shown through an online advertising campaign. It will monitor how many people click on the charity's site from these pictures and if they donate.
"We did also get some free space in a couple of Guardian supplements," he says. "But now it has to go online because of a limit to our funds."
Brady says the campaign raised £20,000. The photos were seen by a million people before the online launch. He says the charity has already covered costs.
EXPERT VIEW - Grahame Darnell, Managing director, Darnell Consulting
The imagery is eye-catching and using Rankin as photographer provides an additional PR angle. However, the call to action is weak and lacks urgency. It needs to do more to portray the outcome when a person donates. Presenting the donor with two contrasting scenarios to show how a life could be changed as the result of a research breakthrough - for example (a) in pain, confidence destroyed, scared to go out, or (b) getting treatment, happy-go-lucky, girl about town - is an effective technique.
EXPERT RATING
Creativity: 3
Delivery: 2
Total: 5 out of 10
