Are content creators the third-sector’s secret weapon?
Campaigns for third-sector companies, those which are not for profit and non-governmental, can be hard to master; sometimes too schmaltzy, other times too hard-hitting. So, asks Geoffrey Chang, Creative Lead at eight&four, can content creators unlock the secrets to charitable messaging?
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You’ve got 30 seconds to assault people’s nervous systems... GO!
Emotionally charged charity ads have always elicited conflicting reactions and opinions. On one hand, marketing academics will tell you that emotional resonance is precisely what moves audiences to take action – be it donating, volunteering or spreading awareness.
Emotionally charged charity ads have always elicited conflicting reactions and opinions.
Conversely, there’s a perception that it’s 'too easy' to win an audience’s sympathy when children, the elderly or society’s marginalised are involved. Add a puppy and watch them weep. Too easy. Maybe even lazy.
Above: Charitable ads can be manipulative, especially if you feature a sad-looking animal!
Despite results that prove a campaign's effectiveness, third-sector ads are deemed less 'proper' because they’re (supposedly) reliant on hard-hitting sentimentality or shock factor.
If, from afar, we’re trying to make people feel bad for someone’s situation, we’ve got it all wrong.
So, how can charities find a more subtle way? What does a softer landing into a story look and sound like? One where we aren’t resigned to a reflex reaction, riddled with equal parts regret, guilt and shame that it took this amount of pity pressure to find our altruistic ego? The answer lies somewhere below the line.
Sympathy and empathy don’t go hand-in-hand
If, from afar, we’re trying to make people feel bad for someone’s situation, we’ve got it all wrong. People feel sorry enough for themselves and the state of the world as it is, and there’s power in not piling on that guilt further. What if the third-sector approach was more mindful and instead gave people a window of hope?
Above: The A View From a Bridge campaign is a simple but effective concept that engages viewers in a human way.
The most effective content allows viewers to actively share in the emotional experience, to build empathy. A good thing to come out of social media is its ability to connect people through universal truths. It’s knowing you’re not alone, it's affirmation through empathetic upvoting and digital validation.
So, what are people searching for when scrolling? Something out of the ordinary. ASMR with words. An intimate interlude, blocking out sonic fodder. No distractions. Like looking down the viewfinder of a camera. A moving portrait. As poetic as it is poignant. Stop and stare. Just for a while. Think. That’s what watching A View From a Bridge is like.
The most effective content allows viewers to actively share in the emotional experience, to build empathy.
The account has – for all intents and purposes – gone viral with a simple concept. A member of the public picks up a red telephone on a bridge and shares a conversation with a stranger. Not just any chat, but a deep, meaningful chat, invariably presenting a new way of looking at everyday issues, which sparks more meaningful chat in the comments. Humanity is saved. Just by picking up the phone.
It's neither an interview, nor a vox pop. Too short to be a podcast, but more than a human-interest story. The final edit is presented as a monologue, all your internalised opinions bared public for the whole world to judge. Everything about it is intimate. Each concern voiced sounds like a confession.
Intimacy wins
Like all good social creators, the filmmaker behind the project, Joe Bloom, has established a trademark visual style and form, employing a slow, super-zoom out, starting with a tight portrait before pulling out gradually to reveal the wider perspective. Voyeurism reversed.
Above: The British Heart Foundation partnered with A View From a Bridge to hear Charles' story about CPR.
Since the campaign started in February 2024, it was clear the breakthrough creator was onto something, as more videos of strangers started to go viral. To keep the account growing, Bloom mixed up voices, inviting emerging culture-shapers and community-builders with something to say. The unscripted storytelling format felt perfect for a third-sector creator partnership. Non-preachy, natural not forced.
Emotion first. Brand second.
During Heart Month, Bloom teamed up with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to share Charles Leonard’s moving story. Charles, a marathon runner from Wimbledon, survived his cardiac arrest, thanks to CPR and a defibrillator.
Rather than just shouting about BHF, the 90-second video presented important themes such as bouncing back when you get knocked down, needing a “kick up the backside” once in a while, and appreciating how precious our time is. Ultimately, learning CPR could save a life like Charles’. The viewers join the dots themselves, without it spelt out in a clunky call to action.
As Howard Gossage said: “Nobody reads advertising. People read what interests them; and sometimes it's an ad.”
Activated by our team at eight&four, this creator-led approach will resonate with audiences who prefer authentic storytelling over ads. Fitting into the creator’s signature style - already loved by his audience - the content only weaves in the charity very lightly at the end, so it feels natural within the monologue. With the purpose-driven message, viewers actually want to engage with the topic and become part of the wider conversation... because the societal issue is bigger than the charity, it’s bigger than marketing.
As Howard Gossage said: “Nobody reads advertising. People read what interests them; and sometimes it's an ad.”
Back to organic roots
In production terms, it might be lo-fi, social-first content, but it’s delivered significant impact, getting everyone talking about the importance of CPR. With more than 300,000 views it’s become the top performing post for the BHF on social without a penny of media spend.
It goes to show that real storytelling can be a powerful catalyst for campaigns with a purpose, so long as you find the right partner.
As a collaboration post, it brought the BHF’s mission to new audiences while taking the conversation to the nation in an unexpected, imaginative way. This narrative puts the audience in a position of collective responsibility, that they too can learn CPR rather than just feel sympathy.
It goes to show that real storytelling can be a powerful catalyst for campaigns with a purpose, so long as you find the right partner, tailor the idea to them and then hand over the reins. When you get it right, charities can create work that has both a genuine social impact and stands up as best-in-class creative marketing.
