This is not ST John WA’s first appeal for volunteers by a long shot, but 303MullenLowe has found a new kind of appeal that makes it feel new. The campaign taps into the growing desire to get off screens and into life.
The campaign, Swap your screen time for real time, taps into the dwindling thrill of social media doom scrolling and the excitement and human connection of being a first aid volunteer at events.
With volunteer numbers on the decline, 303 MullenLowe used a strategy to reach people who may not ordinarily think of volunteering, or assume they have a lack of time or skillset to be involved. It’s hoped to appeal to a much broader audience as a result, and particularly those who are looking for more in their lives – whether that’s more excitement, more connection, or the promise of more fulfillment.
303 MullenLowe Perth executive creative director, Sara Oteri,explained, “An increasing number of people recognise that social media can be a space of temporary happiness and fleeting bursts of excitement. But when that dopamine hit runs out, you’re left feeling worse than when you started. By contrast, St John’s volunteer first aiders experience real excitement, reward and lasting human connection.
“We’ve tapped into that insight by targeting people in their moments of doom scrolling, by asking them to swap their screen time for real time. And why wouldn’t you when the average Australian spends almost two hours per day on social platforms, and becoming a St John volunteer only requires five hours of your time a month?”
Media has managed by MediaHub. Perth media manager, Meg Handley, added. “Understanding the heavy digital usage of our target audience was the first step in designing a media campaign that worked hand-in-hand with the creative concept. To tackle an online habit, we needed to reach the audience in a contextually relevant online environment.”
St John’s event health service support services manager, Emma Kake, commented, “While first aiders were an important strand of the organisation’s volunteer base, many people mistakenly believed they needed medical training to be an Event Health Service Officer, as they are called. With a perceived lack of time and lack of confidence in skillset, we needed more people to consider themselves an Event Health Volunteer.
Media: MediaHub Perth
Media Manager: Meg Handley
Media Coordinator: Grace O’Meehan
Senior Performance Manager: Elyse Simich
Senior Data and Experience Manager: Kathleen Severn
Digital Executive: Paige Crabb
Videographer: Lewis Potts
Photographer: Duncan Wright
Lauren Billingham: Producer
TPP Creative Director: Bryce McNamara
Production Manager: Alexandra Nell
Editor: Cal McLean
Composer: Aimee
Animator: Nicols Gaviria
Sound Mixer: Justin Braine
Client: St John WA
Marketing Specialist: Natalie Jolley
Head of Brand & Marketing: Smiljka Dimitrijevic
