American Cancer Society Awarded 2011 Jay Chiat Award
Category: For Good Strategy—Bronze, The Martin Agency and The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is one of America's oldest and most pre-eminent charity brands. It is respected, revered, and trusted. But the brand was struggling to remain relevant in the 21st century. The brand was surrounded by smaller, nimbler, "sexier" cancer brands like LiveStrong and Komen. The ACS was seen as an old Doctor trapped in a lab, while these other brands were out in the world, sporting wristbands and ribbons, racing or walking.
The ACS was a 1.0 Charity in a world of 2.0 causes; but we thought they had the potential to define 3.0. We had to change their image from a Researcher into a Life Saver.
For one of America's oldest and biggest charities, we couldn't play small ball. Our strategic and creative breakthrough came with the big idea of "The Official Sponsor of Birthdays," a celebration of the lives the ACS has helped save.
We then created a campaign that was a multi-channel birthday "party" involving famous musicians and artists, and which asked consumers to actually act rather than just think. "The Official Sponsor of Birthdays" has turned into a rallying point and cry for the entire organization, and has increased relevance and mind share.
About the American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, nearly 12 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
About the Jay Chiat Awards
The Jay Chiat Awards are the first global advertising awards that recognize brilliant strategic thinking. Ten categories recognize the importance of strategy across the diverse marketing communications landscape: existing brand, new brand, new product, brand experience, media strategy, social media strategy, design, for good strategy, research innovation and creative technology. The awards are open to strategy professionals in any market and in any type of communications company—advertising agencies, media companies, research organizations and more. Find out more.
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