Uncomfortable Reality
For 1.6 million older people, the festive period can magnify feelings of loneliness and isolation. Age UK needed to highlight the scale of older isolation at Christmas, while also showing that the charity is there for them all year round. MG OMD was tasked with creating disproportionate impact, fame and talkability — on a shoestring budget.
TV was the biggest driver of success for Age UK. It allowed us to run alongside the TV fundraising campaign and provided a platform that could deliver real fame. We also wanted to link the campaign to a moment in culture. But with no budget for AFPs or a multi-week campaign, we had just one moment to get right. It had to be hard-hitting and instantly cut through.
We focused on the contrast between most people having a noisy, lively Christmas versus older people facing silence and emptiness. In November 2023, no house was more iconic or vibrant than the newly relaunched ITV Big Brother House.
We created four short films showing a lonely older person in the empty Big Brother House, bringing the uncomfortable reality to life. With only 75 minutes to shoot before housemates woke up, it was the fastest advertising shoot ever.
On December 23rd, the ads aired during The Voice, the biggest shared family viewing moment of the weekend. Owned and earned social extended reach, and premium digital OOH from Ocean maintained momentum across the Christmas period.
Results were immediate. 2.5 million people watched The Voice. Social mentions rose 849%. TV drove a 64% increase in donations and an overall increase of 123%. Brand positivity rose 29%, with a 113% uplift in intent to donate within 6 months.