In 2016, Child Focus launched the Coins of Hope. An official euro coin with the face of a missing child. This awareness campaign was supported on social media by influencers, Belgian celebrities and politicians who posted pictures of the Coins of Hope. Because of a lack of funding in 2024, we turned those posts and turned them into a fundraising campaign: #Bringthemback

We worked together with influencers and asked them to repost the Coins of Hope. And used more social guerilla tactics to create a conversation with politicians. And make Child Focus top of mind.

Child Focus is the Belgian center for missing and sexually exploited children.

In 2016 they launched a very successful project: Coins of Hope. One million official two euro-coins with the face of Liam Vandenbrande, a boy who has been missing for 25 years. The Coins were a symbol of hope for all missing children. The project got support from all European countries, the Belgian Royal Mint, and the Belgian King in person. It was an enormous success, shared by politicians, influencers and the public and with press coverage all over Europe.

But since 2016, the number of cases for Child Focus just keeps increasing. With 2023 setting a heartbreaking record of nearly 5000 new cases being opened. A 32% increase. But the funding of Child Focus… stayed the same.

Childfocus is known for their missing children posters and awareness campaigns. But funding to conquer increasing challenges put a pressure on their power to act.

For the first time in history, Child Focus was at the brink of running out of resources to fulfill their mission to its best. That’s why we had to make a strategic shift from awareness to fundraising. The leverage to make this shift? Changing their targets without changing their mission: spreading hope.

In 2016, Child Focus launched the Coins of Hope. One million official two euro-coins with the face of Liam Vandenbrande, a boy who has been missing for 25 years. Spreading hope for all missing children. The campaign was an enormous success, shared by politicians, influencers and the public and with press coverage all over Europe.

In 2024, we asked everybody to bring their Coins of Hope back.

We created a recall campaign. We made missing posters of the coins of hope. Recalled the coins on social media. Sent messages to coin collectors. And even reposted posts of politicians and influencers who shared the campaign in 2016. Turning an awareness campaign from 2016 into a fundraising campaign for 2024. With just one goal: more donations and more support from our government.

Child Focus was at the brink of running out of resources to fulfill their mission: Spreading hope for missing children and their families. That’s why we had to make a strategic shift from awareness to fundraising. The strategy to make this shift? Changing their targets without changing their mission: keep spreading hope, even in a fundraising campaign.

We targeted the general public, but went further. We also targeted politicians who supported us during the launch of the coins of hope in 2016. Asking for donations and structural support from the government.

In all our media and communication we directly recalled the Coins of Hope, or any other amount, to raise funds for Child Focus. With as main keyvisual one of the coins. And a simple call to action: Bring them back.

-We started, like a true recall action, with a print ad explaining our story.

-It was followed by a social video with the same message: Bring Them Back.

-Then we recalled the Coins of Hope in traditional media, like indoor and outdoor posters.

-We asked influencers to re-share their original posts from 2016, but with an updated message.

-In shops we placed collection boxes, for anyone to donate their coins on the spot.

-And we asked coin collectors to return their coins on second hand websites.

-Finally, we retweeted politicians who proudly shared the Coins of Hope in 2016, and asked them to support us again this time.

Only 106 Coins of Hope were returned, but obviously this was not the real goal of our campaign. The PR and fundraising were above expectations.

-Extensive press coverage in all major newspapers

-Interviews with Child Focus on radio and tv,

-Invitations to talk shows

-shared online by influencers

+ 110.000 euro received in donations from the public.

+ 500.000 euro was donated through corporations

+ This equals nothing less than 302.000 Coins of Hope

+ Permanent funding for Child Focus by the Belgian government is finally on the political agenda, supported by Flemish minister and vice-president Crevits and state secretary Leroy.

This campaign couldn’t have been made in any other country. Only in Belgium the Coins of Hope were created. The impact the campaign had in 2016 was enormous. The campaign is well known in the country, and the 1 million Coins of Hope are spread all around the country, and even beyond in the rest of Europe.