MS on the big screen
YESwecan PR developed an initiative built around a video competition: each entrant was invited to develop a scene from a movie, which could be adapted to include awareness of multiple sclerosis
Published: 24 Oct 2011
The winning video parodied the ‘potato dance’ in Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush.
Client: UNISEP
Agency: YESwecan, France
Campaign: 'MS is not cinema, MS is MS'
Timescale: February to May 2010
A quick look
In order to create awareness around multiple sclerosis, specifically targeting young adults, YESwecan PR designed a campaign comprising media relations, digital PR and free advertising. The initiative was built around a video competition: each entrant was invited to develop a scene from a movie, which could be adapted to include awareness of MS. The winning video was broadcast more than 1,000 times in a week on major TV channels and cinemas in France.
Challenge
UNISEP – the organisation bringing together several French associations fighting against multiple sclerosis (MS) – requested the PR agency YESwecan to design a campaign aimed to create awareness of MS. The objective was to reach young adults as the MS disease strikes at the age of 25-30.
Solution
YESwecan developed a 360° campaign. The first step was to launch a video competition on the internet on the topic, ‘SEPasduciné, c’est la sclérose en plaques’, a French word game that means ‘MS is not cinema, MS is MS’.
The candidates were asked to create a 30-second video inspired by a mythic cinema scene that would be diverted in order to include MS.
The winner of this competition would have his/her video broadcast on TV channels and cinemas. Media relations and digital PR were implemented to raise awareness around the competition.
The second step was to gather a jury of celebrities that would reward the best videos. President of the jury was Claire Chazal, a renowned journalist who presents the news on TF1 (the first TV channel in France). Around her, 10 actors, film directors and well-known journalists accepted an invitation to join the jury.The third step was to have the winning video broadcast during one week on TV channels and cinemas to create awareness around MS through media relations in the same time.
Results
- 182 videos were entered
- The winning video was a parody of the ‘potato dance’ in Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush: the forks handling the potatoes were supposed to be the weak legs of an MS patient
- The video has been free broadcast on 21 major TV channels and through 800 cinemas during one week.
- 220 press articles were published in the same time.
Client verdict
This campaign has been rewarded twice by major communications award organisations. It has been praised as the best campaign since UNISEP was established and the client asked YESwecan PR to design again the same campaign in 2011.