Charity engagement has become unpopular among young people: They are bored by the way traditional charity works.

That’s why The Global Fund asked us to find a new way to involve the young target group personally in the fight against AIDS. We used different digital channels and innovative mobile technology to create the most personal way to get involved with charity: People donated their own heartbeat, turned them into music and visuals at a big party event and saved lives from AIDS at the same time.

In German cities, we celebrated the HEARTBEATS charity parties, where famous music acts and visual artists performed live, remixing the heartbeats of the audience.We promoted the events through online communities and posters with QR codes, which led to the website. Here, people downloaded the specially invented HEARTBEATS iPhone App – the key to our event. The HEARTBEATS App uses the iPhone camera and flashlight to detect tiny changes in the blood colour, thus the heartbeat. Using the App, people measured their own heartbeats and sent them to the artists on the stage, who turned them into live music and visuals. People could instantly post their donated heartbeats on Facebook. Through a link to the official donation page, we asked them to turn their heartbeats into new life by providing money for medical treatment.

At the first party only, over 2,500 people had a great night, donating more than 45,000 heartbeats for the fight against AIDS. From the entrance fee and individual online donations, we raised enough money to give 261 people with AIDS a new life by providing medical treatment for them.Worldwide media coverage convinced the client to continue the promotion at an international level.