Merging art and technology for social good, we launched ‘MERCY’ – an integrated campaign and live gallery event connecting millennials’ creative and tech-driven lifestyle with their ambition to do good.

Enlisting a celebrity photographer known more for pop stars and fashion spreads, we travelled to Madagascar to capture images of real people helped by Mercy Ships. Images of hope, rather than despair. We then showcased these stunning, intimate images in a live gallery event, as well as across social media, broadcast and print.

Throughout all media, our stunning photography connected people to the Mercy Ships online gift catalogue donation page, via click-through or using SHAZAM image recognition technology, effectively translating people’s emotional response into direct action by way of donations to Mercy Ships Canada.

Instead of asking for pity, we compelled millennials to be part of a positive, inspiring story. In Africa, Matt Barnes photographed real people whose lives have been transformed by Mercy Ships, with the same eye for beauty and strength captured in his traditional work. The campaign was promoted within his social channels, opening up Mercy Ships to a broader audience of Canadians who weren’t previously aware of them, as well as in PR, through a media tour on morning television. Print and online videos leveraging the images credibly championed the organization on a mass stage, while enforcing the notion that our target could be part of something bigger.

Following the gallery event, we auctioned the prints on eBay, to benefit Mercy Ships. All media showcased our arresting photography and connected to the Mercy Ships gift catalogue donation page, via click-through or SHAZAM, translating emotional reaction into direct action.

By empowering young Canadians to be part of something positive and meaningful, we increased awareness and generated three times the incremental dollar donations sought by Mercy Ships Canada.

The ‘MERCY’ campaign effectively translated attention into real action, driving a 32% increase in incremental dollar donations to Mercy Ships Canada vs. the same timeframe last year, among an entirely new base of potential donors who had never engaged with Mercy Ships before.

Online, our content achieved over 2 million views and above-average click-through and video completion rates. In PR, with zero paid support, we created relevant visibility with younger Canadians by leveraging our photographer’s celebrity appeal and drove 3,739,434 PR impressions, far exceeding the industry standard quality score. In the wake of our campaign, we had delivered over 65 million total impressions, and successfully advanced the purpose and mission of this inspiring organization.