Insight
The travel arm of the Royal British Legion received significant funds from the Treasury. Funds were available to take D-Day veterans, and latterly all veterans of WWII, on a free journey of remembrance to where they once served. It was the nation’s ‘thankyou’ and a chance for veterans to lay old ghosts to rest.
The brief: “The challenge is simple: there’s no database of veterans, so please use the power of the media to get veterans to sign up.”
Implementation
We need you! We wanted to get news editors on our side and make them feel it was their duty to spread the word. We wanted to make the most of storytelling and engage with veterans, their children and grandchildren.
A media campaign was created to target all national and regional newspapers, BBC radio and TV news channels. We researched veterans back stories and set up interviews about their experiences to boost awareness and inspire others to sign up. Letters to the editors were distributed to editors-in-chief. TV crews joined the tours of veterans returning to the battlefield, once again telling their story, but also demonstrating how the experience enables veterans to lay old ghosts to rest.
Emotive photography and film was shot to boost the media and social PR campaign.
Impact
The PR campaign achieved coverage in The Sun, Metro, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, The Telegraph and Independent as well as over 150 regional press titles, ITV and BBC regional news and over 75 BBC radio interviews.
Literally hundreds of veterans from WWII have now returned to where they served, from Normandy to Burma and Monte Cassino to India! Families say they now understand dad, mum or granddad, now they know what they went through. Veterans have shared a tear or two; but have finally been able to lay old ghosts to rest.
The campaign has won six GOLD CIPR PRide awards and was shortlisted for a national Chartered Institute of Marketing Excellence award for ‘Best Use of PR’.
If you require help with your charity PR or marketing please contact us.
“The media campaign has awoken the public’s awareness of our LIBOR funded tours. Thanks to Big Wave PR we’ve been able to take hundreds of veterans back to where they served to help them lay old ghosts to rest – it’s an emotive experience for all. I would definitely recommend them for your charity PR needs.”
