Winner: Chamberlain Healthcare Public Relations - Kids Kicking Cancer PSA Campaign & Breath Break App Launch
When you think public service announcement, doing it via a smartphone application is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. Chamberlain Healthcare Public Relations thought about it, and executed it well.
When Kids Kicking Cancer lost a significant amount of government funding, the Breath Brake app was launched to continue to build awareness of the organization and further its reach. The app was set up to be a mobile extension of KKC’s mission to help manage kids’ stress and pain through martial arts tactics.
The app was created in the hopes that the children’s cause would be the driving force behind people’s decision to get involved. With social media integrated into the plan, KKC redesigned its Web site to highlight the app and changed the URL specifically for the campaign. Eventually, three PSAs were created and 8,880- plus apps were downloaded from April 2011 to March 2012. In addition, KKC’s Web site saw 125,000 new visitors in the same period. —JH
Honorable Mentions:
AICPA – Feed the Pig: Everyone has a fond memory of a piggy bank, and the AICPA used this visual in its Feed the Pig PSA to promote financial literacy. Star character Benjamin Bankes delivered a message that aired on multiple platforms. It resulted in 6,158 donated TV placements in the first two months of launch.
American Academy of Ophthalmology – Want Scary Eyes? The Dangers of Non-Prescription Decorative Contact Lenses: To discourage the use of non-prescription decorative contact lenses, the AAO linked to a video PSA from its social media press releases. Both video and audio PSAs were created and Q&As were developed for the media.
American Beverage Institute – Negligent Driving: Distracted driving, particularly texting, continues to be a high cause of accidents. ABI’s PSA showed a mother pushing her child in a shopping cart and running into canned goods. The objective was to show that if you can get distracted while shopping, you can easily have the same result when driving.
PR Newswire Association LLC – Choose You Over the Flu: PSA for Families Fighting Flu: The flu happens to kids. But do we know how serious it can be? “Choose You Over the Flu” explained dangers of the flu and the importance of vaccination. The PSA was narrated by Luke Duvall and his parents; Luke spent two weeks in a coma after contracting the flu.
Rx Mosaic Health – Check Out Your Gout: To spread the message about the first and only FDA-approved treatment for Refractory Chronic Gout, Rx Mosaic asked actor and gout sufferer Jim Belushi to discuss his experiences with a leading physician in a PSA. The “Check Out Your Gout” campaign generated 80 million impressions.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Faces of TBI: Many servicemen and women face traumatic brain injury following their tours of duty. To make this issue known, the Department of Veterans Affairs told their stories through a broadcast PSA narrated by Academy Award nominee Gary Sinise. It was distributed to and aired by more than 200 TV stations.