An inspiring new Special Olympics Ireland ‘Can’t Stop Now’ campaign aimed at driving vital funding is fronted by actor Colin Farrell.
The creative blends images of Ireland’s Special Olympians – including Anna Kilmartin, Aisling Beacom, and Margaret Turley – with powerful statements and stories inspired by their own personal journeys of overcoming adversity.
The initiative, which was created with pro-bono collective Good Brains for Good Brands and Red Rage (with Director Darragh Carey), aims to raise €500,0000 for Special Olympics Ireland to support more than 8,000 athletes across the country.
The campaign spans print, outdoor, social, radio and online video, and the work highlights that the only thing that can stop Special Olympics athletes living fulfilling lives and pursuing their dreams isn’t anything to do with their disabilities, but the lack of funding due to the current pandemic.
It was initially teased 6 October by a personal social spot featuring Colin Farrell and amplified across his own personal platforms.
This was followed 48 hours later with the launch of the hero ‘Can’t Stop Now’ spot launched on 8 October which ran on television and across the organisation’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages.
Further social video and image content such as local organisation fund raising initiatives, followed on from the spearhead ad.
The creative seeks to drive viewers online to donate at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraisin and the campaign encourages people to find out more at the initiative’s bespoke microsite www.cantstopnow.ie
Good Brains for Good Brands Creative Director Mark Shanley commented: “The athletes who take part in Special Olympics Ireland’s programmes are incredible. They are living, breathing examples of the power of sport to change lives. All we’ve done is try to capture them looking as powerful as sport makes them feel. “When it came to production, assembling a dream team was easy. Everyone from Red Rage films, photographer Adrian Stewart, director Darragh Carey, 750mph on sound design to even the music and voices of Hozier and Colin Farrell wanted to be involved. This is because they had so much respect and admiration for the work that Special Olympics do. The whole experience was so humbling!”
Annmarie Sweeney, Director of Marketing, Communications and Fundraising of Special Olympics Ireland, added: “2020 has been a hugely challenging year for fundraising at Special Olympics Ireland. Due to COVID-19 restrictions we had to cancel our Annual Collection Day, which raises €500,000 in support of our programme for 8,000 athletes. In the absence of face to face cash collections, we knew we needed a powerful campaign to drive digital and text donations. The team at Good Brains for Good Brands were incredible! They grasped the brief with both hands, creating and executing a knock-out campaign that we believe will resonate with the Irish public and highlight our athletes’ great courage and determination. We can’t thank the team enough for gifting us their great passion, energy, brains and creativity. Special Olympics Ireland would not have the funds to create a campaign of this quality and scale and we are humbled by the goodwill and generosity that made it all possible.”
The combine team on the project included ECD Mark Fairbanks, Strategy Director Aparna Banger, Creative Directors Mark Shanely and Greg Milbourne, Account Director
Susan O’Hanlon, Producer Leah Mitchell-Waite, Director Darragh Carey, Executive Producer Paul Holmes (Red Rage), Head Of Production Treasa O’Friel (Red Rage), DoP Ivan Mccullough, Editor Rob Hegarty (Screen Scene), Motion Graphics Seamus Hart and Patrick Horan, Music Supervisor Jt Griffith, Colourist Donal O’Kane, VFX (Screen Scene) Allen Sillery, Photographer Adrian Stewart, Designers Sophie Allen and James McNaught and Sound Designer Sam Ashwell (750mph London),.
Comment:
Good Brains for Good Brands, run by Ollie Scott (founder of recruitment firm UNKNOWN), CSO Lachlan Williams and ECD Mark Fairbanks (both ex R/GA), was set up to bring together the skillsets of industry professionals – those either freelance or furloughed from advertising, PR, entertainment and tech firms – to help charities plug the predicted £10b funding gap caused by the pandemic and the worst recession on record.
Within three days of the receiving the brief from Special Olympics Ireland, Good Brains had put together a team which included ‘Nothing beats a Londoner’ Creative Director Mark Shanley, ex BBH account director Susan O’Hanlon and Google strategist Aps Bangur and they worked together to create the campaign and get it made for ‘next to nothing’ thanks to partnerships with Red Rage Productions, photographer Adrian Stewart and the post production house 750MPH.
All creative, production and media team members gave their time and skills for free.
Links:
Special Olympics Ireland
https://www.specialolympics.ie/
https://www.facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsIreland/
https://www.instagram.com/SpecialOlympicsIreland/
https://twitter.com/soireland/
https://www.youtube.com/user/SpecialOlympicsIrl
Good Brains for Good Brands
https://www.linkedin.com/company/good-brains-for-good-brands/
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