Gazeta Sporturilor, the no.1 sports newspaper in Romania, decided to help former football player Mihai Nesu raise money for his Foundation.

The problem when launching such projects is that the advertising costs to raise awareness for a cause are often bigger than the money collected.

Idea: shorten commercials with 1 second, and donate the TV buying value of the extracted second to Mihai Nesu’s cause.

The difference between a 30 second and a 29 second TV commercial is imperceptible for viewers, but the media buying cost for that 1 second represents 3.33% from the total budget. As the TV buying budgets are huge, the money raised this way represent a great amount.

The difference between a 30 second and a 29 second TV commercial is imperceptible for viewers, but the media buying cost for that 1 second represents 3.33% from the total budget. As the TV buying budgets are huge, the money raised this way represent a great amount.

Second-Life was born as a collective program through which participating advertisers cut 1 second from their TV commercials and donate the saved media buying money to a cause. Like Mihai Nesu’s cause.

In less than 6 months:

-The campaign generated over 400.000 worth of PR, involving top Romanian bloggers and social media influencers

-7 national campaigns joined the program, and more are expected to enter

- Over 5000 participating TVCs were broadcasted

- With over 90% of all Romanians being exposed to a Second Life campaign, the initiative got immense coverage

- Tens of thousands of Euros were raised for the foundation, and Second Life became a new way in which advertising can improve peoples’ lives.