On a World Food Programme brief, at the Young Lions Media Competition 2009, this is what we did. Ana Maria Vasilache & Adina Stanescu

1. “In helping others, we shall help ourselves,
for whatever good we give out,
completes the circle and comes back to us.”

2. CHALLENGE
Engage schools to raise money for childfren in Africa who die of hunger.
Get students involved into supporting the World Food Programme campaign.
TARGET “I love Paul and his mom. She does the best
sandwiches and he shares them with me”
“I’l always be grateful to my buddy Jim, for
lending me money whenever I’m out”
“Jenny is the most generous girl in class when
taking written exams”
HOW YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LIKE:
• playful mindset, games-oriented
• interactive lifestyle
• they have a constant groups of friends and they enjoy making new ones
• experimental attitude
• socially aware: tendency to empathize and offer compassion

3. Generosity lies less
in giving much
than in giving
at the right moment.
INSIGHT
• Young people like to share things: movies, games, ideas, networks, food, gadgets. They like to put things
in common, to help, to lend a hand.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
• Invite young people to donate and support The World Food Program by engaging them into a playful
platform, using an optimistic tone and a call-to-action attitude at the same time.
• By involving them into interactive actions, not only we make them aware of the problem, but we
engage them instantly, giving the opportunity to help in real time.
• Continue the idea of “Fill the Cup” campaign, that is to demonstrate how little it takes to make a
difference for a child in a developing country, but decline it in a different way. It can be considered as
the next step to this campaign.

4. IDEA
• Determine young people to be generous with children in need, by sharing a meal, by offering them a
treat. To be friends with these children and help them as they would help their own friends. Instead of
the usual cup of coffee/tea, they can buy these kids a “cup of meal”.
MESSAGE
• Be a friend! Share a meal.

5. CREATIVE EXECUTIONS
• GAMING COMPETITION: At the beginning of the school year, we launch a gaming competition, with school honors and
prizes for the “Most Generous” students. Teachers will be the ones spreading the information and get people involved.
The competition has a playful perspective, as gaming represents an important part of the young people lives. Therefore,
we relate to students in a relevant manner.
• GAME MECHANISM: Launch the game at the same time, in different city schools. Create a game on the school website,
inviting students to explore the life of kids living in countries in Africa – to live like a child in Africa.
• The game can also be downloaded and played on the mobile phone. Each student will have to play a character of a
native child, like being one of the hungry children, having to face their real problems. This way, the student will have
to manage, in real time, with hunger issues. His character can only survive and make new friends, by cumulating a
certain amount of points.
• These points can be achieved by donating 0.25 cents in their school or places they hang out, in different ways (we
activate different media channels, such as: fast foods, cafeterias, vending machines, school buffets). Each gained
point will return as a reward from the children you helped. The generosity of the students will be compensated by
the children they fed by donating. This will come in form of pieces of advice, tips and curiosities that friends normally
share with each other (e.g.: Your best Safari expedition).
• GAINING POINTS: Whenever you donate 0.25 cents, you receive different codes, which are meant to help you gain
points and go the next level (each level is defined by your capacity to survive and help other friends to do so). You
can use the codes, either online or on your mobile phone and play further on. The more you play, the more you
help.
• FACEBOOK: We also activate Facebook, giving students the change to play it here as well. This time, the mechanism
of gaining points can consist in attracting more friends in your network. For each invitation sent you receive a
certain amount of points.

6. VENDING MACHINES: along with the sandwiches and snacks placed in a vending
machine, we put a few empty red cups on every row, with prices attached (0.25 cents
each one) and a tag-line: “The only meal for children in Africa”. On the vending
machine, we’ll create a round sticker with the following message: “Be a friend. Share a
meal”.
•Each time a student will buy something to eat, he can also buy a cup representing a
child’s meal for one day.
•This way, he can donate the 0.25 cents and also receive the codes he needs to enter
in order to play the game and gain points.
DOUBLE MENUS IN CAFETERIAS AND FAST-FOODS: Menu for 2 - for a student and their possible friend - in
cafeterias in schools and in fast-foods they usually go to. This way, you will have your own meal and also donate a
meal for the children.
•As well as in the vending machine case, they also receive, codes in order to play the game and gain points
BUFFET AND FAST FOODS: a red empty cup used as a change recipient. When receiving
their change, students can donate it directly into the cup. The message on the cup: “The
only meal for children in Africa. Be a friend. Share a meal”.
•Each time they donate, the vendor offers them the equivalent in codes.

7. • GOODNESS optional subject - we introduce a new class for students, called “Goodness”,
treating generosity matters, informative sessions related to the life of the children who
suffer of hunger. At the end of the class, teachers will also announce the Monthly top “10
Most Generous students” in the school: the students who helped the most and gained
the biggest number of points, receive pins, bracelets, stickers to put on their school bag.
These prizes will help to carry on the message and spread the word of the campaign. For
example, the pins can have different messages, depending on the place you’ve earned:
“Most generous”, “Best Buddy”, “A friend in need” and so on.
• the monthly top can also be published in the school magazines or displayed on the
walls of fast-foods/restaurants engaged in the program. This way we make students
popular in and outside their school, by doing a good thing.
• FINAL PRIZE at the school ceremony, at the end of the year: “Most Generous” student will
receive “The cup of friendship”. Implicitly, he will gain the biggest popularity in school.
• DIRECT MAILING for parents: the head teachers will sent a letter to the parents of the
children present in this monthly top, complimenting their performances and their good
deeds.

8. EFFICIENT USE OF MEDIA
• ONLINE (Facebook, School Website): young people spend a lot
of time online and the most relevant way to address them such
an issue is to talk to them in their environment
• MOBILE PHONES: every student owns a phone and everyone
likes to play games on them. This way, our message is present
with them on a daily basis.
• AMBIENT: (vending machines, change recipient in buffets,
Menus for 2). We specifically chose places where young people
eat, in order to have a higher impact and involve them more.
• DIRECT MAILING: The letters sent to their parents are also a
stimuli for young people to support further on the campaign
and create word-of-mouth.
• EVENTS: Fast Foods implementation + the Goodness class + the
final ceremony at the end of the year. The celebration of the
“Most Generous” student in such a festive manner will make
students feel more important and popular. This way, they will
acknowledge the great importance of their small gesture.
• PRESS: school magazines. Again, this is a way to engage
students more, to compensate their generosity and create a
feeling of official recognition.

9. CAMPAIGN EVALUATION
• First of all, we maintain the idea of the “Fill the Cup” campaign. Therefore, for certain
schools already part of the program, will be even more appealing.
• Being such an INTERACTIVE campaign, we engage students every step of the process. By
addressing them in their own environment and using the most common tools they use, we
create a relevant communication. Not only do we engage youngsters to help, but we
compensate them for their generosity. It’s a double rewarding campaign, for each of the
parties involved.
• Combining the useful gestures (the ACT OF DONATING) with the PLEASURE OF PLAYING,
the campaign manages to be entertaining and memorable till the end. It’s a constant call to
action, therefore its efficiency can be evaluated more precisely.
• The PERSONALIZED TOUCH of the campaign will even more make youngsters feel
important and give them the power to help in real time.