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In August 2004, Hurricane Charley slammed into the western coast of Florida-only
to be followed by Hurricanes Frances, Ivan and Jeanne during a seven week
timeframe. This marked the busiest hurricane season and the largest response
to a natural disaster(s) in Red Cross history. Just one week before Hurricane
Charley made landfall, the American Red Cross' Disaster Relief Fund (DRF),
was at an all-time low, mainly due to a lack of high-visibility disasters
on which to base fundraising. This balance was severely insufficient to
respond to the onslaught of storms, which beat a path of destruction through
Florida, Alabama and other Gulf Coast States with residual storms reaching
as far north as Pennsylvania and New York. The Public Relations Team acted
quickly to engage in initiatives that would help build trust in the organization
and inspire people to donate money to the Red Cross. Advertising was a
key component of this initiative, inspiring the media to help communicate
the urgent need for people to support the massive disaster relief efforts
of the American Red Cross.
The American Red Cross Advertising Unit created new public service announcements
to leverage the public's interest in disaster relief and in the Red Cross
response to the hurricanes, and to encourage financial donations.
- Two new 30 second television PSAs and four coordinating radio PSAs
were created and developed in-house, saving the organization thousands
of dollars in outside costs. These spots have an emotional look and
feel, and feature Johnny Cash's rendition of "Bridge Over Troubled
Water." The television shows a montage of black and white disaster
still photos.
- American Red Cross President and CEO Marsha Evans appeared in television
appeal. A previously used print ad featuring Ms. Evans, a retired Rear
Admiral in the US Navy, was repurposed for use as a disaster relief
appeal directed to military audiences, maximizing the existing resources
available.
- Various print PSAs, in English and Spanish, were created to encourage
continued support for the American Red Cross hurricane relief effort,
especially as time passed and media turned their editorial focus to
other stories.
- Actress and American Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet Member Christina
Sanchez donated her time to record five disaster relief radio PSAs in
Spanish.
- Additionally, the recent hurricane season marked the first substantial
national foray by the Red Cross into online search engine advertising.
In the days leading up to each of the four hurricanes, the Advertising
Unit approached media with disaster relief advertising to encourage support
in the aftermath of the disasters. These efforts brought significant PSA
placements in the initial days following each hurricane. The continued
support from many media partners, including national newspapers and magazines,
television, cable and radio networks, and other corporations and organizations,
was critical to the ongoing awareness that inspired the public, as well
as corporate donors, to contribute throughout this devastating hurricane
season.
As of September 30, 2004, the American Red Cross received $1,119,053
in television, radio and print donated advertising space. As of November
4, 2004, approximately 85,000 visitors have been directed to the American
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund web page as a result of online search engine
advertising. Having successfully shared its critical message with the
public, the American Red Cross raised funds that supported its massive
relief effort, which opened more than 1,800 shelters, housed more than
425,000 people, and served about eleven million meals and snacks to disaster
victims.*
Visit
the poster exhibit for examples of some earlier
American Red Cross advertising pieces. Also visit the aef.com
- Ad Council Retrospective for information on ARC historical campaigns.
The Advertising Educational Foundation is grateful to
the American Red Cross for their support and permission to share this
case history with aef.com users.
American Red Cross
Copyright © 2004 American Red Cross. All rights reserved.
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