MND New Zealand sells unusable items to raise funds in new campaign via Special Group
MND New Zealand has launched a new campaign via Special Group for Motor Neurone Disease Awareness Day, with the dual objectives of raising consumer awareness and encouraging charitable donations.
The integrated campaign deploys skillsets from Special, Special PR and Special Media. The creative centres around a digital TradeMe Auction, which charts the ‘real-life’ digital-decline of Whangarei-based David Seymour who lives with MND.
MND gradually causes the muscles that enable us to move, speak, swallow and breathe to stop working – and as they do, we lose our ability to use everyday items.
The auction dramatises the impact the disease has had on David, and starts by him selling large outdoor items like a fishing rod and a bike, before moving onto the likes of cutlery and teacups for when he no longer has the ability to feed himself.
The TradeMe auction is supported by a series of infomercial style promotional clips to highlight the variety of items available for sale, fronted by infomercial queen Suzanne Paul. The content was directed by Alexander Gander with The Post Office acting as production partners.
Says Carl Sunderland, CEO of MND New Zealand: “We needed a bold, brave and creative campaign to cut through public apathy and highlight how devastating this disease can be. A lot of New Zealanders haven’t necessarily heard of MND, and if they have, their understanding of what it actually means is quite low.”
“By demonstrating the debilitating experience of David through this TradeMe auction, we hope to raise awareness, educate the public and generate funds at the same time. MND has no treatment, and no cure, so every cent raised funds vital research and provides support to New Zealanders living with the disease.”
Says Lisa Fedyszyn, executive creative director at Special Group: “At Special, we’re guided by a philosophy to deliver work that makes a difference – and we’re pleased to make a difference helping New Zealanders such as David. By leveraging our creative agency, our PR arm and our media offering we’ve been able to create an emotive integrated campaign that helps New Zealanders understand the debilitating effects of MND and raise much needed funds all through a Trade Me store that sells unusable items.”
A full social media strategy, PR programme, and digital media plan has been built around the auction to maintain attention and drive donations between June and September.
33 items are available for sale on a bespoke TradeMe store, with 100% of funds raised from their sale donated to MND New Zealand – a charity that supports people living with MND, their carers, families, whānau and health professionals through support, education, advocacy and research.
The full list of “David’s Unusables” includes items such as hiking boots, running gear, boxing gloves, a bicycle, a lawnmower, ties, swimming flippers, gardening equipment, a guitar, a BBQ and even simple items such as books, teacups and cutlery.
The auction is running from June 21 until September. To bid on one of David’s unusable items, please visit trademe.co.nz/stores/DavidsUnusables or text DAVID to 833 to automatically donate $3.
Client: MND New Zealand
Creative: Special Group
PR: Special PR
Director: Alexander Gander
Production Company: The Post Office
Sound: Franklin Road
Studio: Lot 23
6 Comments
This feels tone-deaf to me. Are they taking the piss? Is this meant to feel irreverent? Serious?
Agree. There are so many better and more respectful ways to execute this.
AF
Completely agree with other commenters. Loved the idea on paper, loved the channel of TradeMe. Then HATED the film.
Made me feel very uncomfortable, and not in a thought-provoking way.
A real wasted opportunity for a great cause 🙁
But I suppose the film won’t feature in the case study for awards so fortunately for Special, it’ll probably still do OK.
the actual fuck?
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