Studio Brussels "Changed Credits & Episodes"

The yearly Belgian charity event ‘music for life’, organised by radio station Studio Brussels and the Red Cross, was all about mothers on the run. Today, millions of mothers and children need to escape due to violence and war. They are left homeless without care and help. They needed to do something more impactful than just showing these terrible images in a TV spot, since they no longer touch western people. There is a certain fatigue, and it is so far away. They needed to bring this subject home, and infiltrate in people’s daily lives. “Thuis” is a series like ‘Neighbours’ and it’s all about families and their households. It is watched by a million viewers every day. It is part of life. When the viewers of ‘Thuis’ were all set to watch their favorite show, instead of seeing the normal credits, the viewers saw their opening credits. What makes this a relevant idea is that instead of showing misery you just show what means “home” for them. You bring the subject home and closer to target audience. That they took quite literally, they decided to do something with Belgium’s most watched TV series ‘Thuis’ (= Dutch for ‘home’). The original series starts with the opening credits showing all the actors, and a song that is all about ‘home sweet home’. They took the same graphics and the song but the images were taken from footage that they shot in Oeganda, they created five different opening credits, where people could follow five mothers on the run. They also created an online platform where they aired in depth reportage; showing how they lived and trying to survive. Also if it was broadcasted only in one medium they were present in a lot more. Other TV channels took to the footage to show it in their news program. The radio stations reported it and even two of them did in depth reportage about women on the run. In total we had a PR return of investment of 350%. The radio listeners increased by 200% during that period. During six days and five nights, three DJ’s played your favourite song in exchange for a donation. In six days time, 3.5 million Euros was raised. Bronze Cannes Lions Direct Winner.

Agency: Mortierbrigade Brussels, Belgium.