Winner: Ink, Inc.
Campaign: Freedom Is Not Free
The Mission:
Freedom Is Not Free, a nonprofit organization that raises money for wounded vets, needed to increase the dollar-value of donations received at a pace that could support the
ever-growing number of victims.
The Hook:
A calendar featuring scantily-clad Recon Marines, arguably the toughest soldiers in the military, and therefore some of the best bodies to show for it.
Mission: Controversial?
The biggest hurdle to overcome was virtually impossible to reconcile: the controversial nature of the war in Iraq. "The goal was to keep the focus away from whether or not the
war on terror was justified or right," says Cindy West, VP, director of operations, Inc.
Another challenge? Timing. The war is an evergreen topic in the news, and many people have grown weary. Luckily, this campaign had sex appeal on its side.
They're "Bringing Sexy Back:"
Pop star Justin Timberlake may talk the talk (or sing the song), but this PR team walked the walk. The most creative approach to getting attention? Using a "The sexiest men
alive do not live in Hollywood" publicity campaign targeted at female reporters. More strategic, though, was how the team overcame the timing challenge: They coincided the launch
with Veteran's Day and the release of the movie "The Marine."
Mission: Accomplished:
The publicity captured the attention of national and international media outlets, brought more than 500,000 visitors to the Freedom Is Not Free Web site (freedomisnotfree.com)
and exceeded the goal of $500,000 to $1 million raised.
Best Practices for Getting Ink, a la Ink, Inc.:
"Think like a reporter or a producer," West says. "Look at the calendar and see if there are any timing factors with holidays or other events." PRN