RPM Creates ‘Hope House’ for World Vision
Posted by
World Vision – the world’s largest international children’s charity that helps free children from the fear of hunger, disease & conflict – has commissioned marketing communications agency, RPM, to develop a festival-touring experiential installation designed to drive brand awareness, engagement and sponsorship.
The ‘World Vision Hope House’ will tour country-themed festivals and London’s Southbank over the entire summer period. The next activation will take place at the Blenheim Palace Flower Show between Friday 20 and Sunday 22 June.
The campaign will then tour The Cotswold Show and Food Festival, Kent County Show, Bristol Harbourside Festival, New Forest and Hampshire Show, Southbank and Dorset County Show before ending at the Royal County of Berkshire Show on Sunday 21 September 2014.
With a goal to generate new sponsorship leads, the welcoming and relaxed house hosts objects and sensory experiences that tell the story of the 1984 Ethiopian famine that shocked the world three decades ago, and how the landscape has dramatically improved since that time.
The interactive and multi-sensorial walk through experience enables festival attendees to engage emotionally and interact with World Vision’s work, whilst building an environment for them to consider supporting World Vision through sponsoring a child.
The World Vision Hope House is divided into four key zones, with each zone representing a particular time or touch point: Zone 1 is ‘The Great Famine’, Zone 2 represents ‘Bringing Hope’, Zone 3 is called ‘Here for the Long Run’ and the final zone encourages guests to select and sponsor a child.
Every zone features imaginative interactions like a tactile sample of hot mud to help people experience Ethiopia’s intense heat; a map visualizing how more 1-million people – mainly children – died during the 1984 famine; a distant helicopter sound to echo the arrival of food packages; and props such as grain, crates and first aid kits. Guests are also invited to listen to ‘true stories from Ethiopia’ through headphones.
Emily Desborough, experiential marketing manager at World Vision, said: “This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Ethiopian famine. So it’s a good time to reflect on all that we’ve achieved in the Ansokia valley in Ethiopia. We wanted to share this powerful story in a way that will resonate with potential sponsors. Because a greenhouse is not only used to grow plants, but also to nurture ideas and let them to develop unhindered, this is the perfect point of inspiration. We’re confident that RPM’s activation will deliver the results we’re hoping for.”
Dom Robertson, RPM’s MD, said: “The World Vision Hope House is a space where guests can experience a physical timeline of events, stemming from the 1984 famine to present day. By providing visual, tactile and aural stimulus, we are able to create deep emotional touch points with potential sponsors. And we very much hope this campaign will be so successful that World Vision will be able to help even more people through difficult times.”
