People feel empathy for a disaster such as an earthquake while it’s in the news. They gush about it being a tragedy in conversations, click the ‘Care’ button in social media, maybe even donate a few dollars…and then forget about it when its news cycle ends. But the needs of the people involved in the disaster won’t have ended.
On February 6, 2023, the Turkish-Syrian border region was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. Several aftershocks followed. Over 50,000 people died, and more than 100,000 were partially or severely injured. Millions of people still live in emergency shelters, and millions still suffer from the consequences of the disaster.
Exactly one year later, the people rocked by the tragedy were still in need. Aktion Deutschland Hilft, an alliance of over 20 aid organisations, with Havas Germany and the Creative House, the creative unit of Seven.One AdFactory, launched an extraordinary campaign to commemorate the events and the ongoing dramatic situation of the affected.
The campaign, Das große Wachbeben, involved advertising that shook for the duration of the two strongest earthquakes. On February 6, 2024, exactly one year after the events, digital advertising spaces in public spaces (WallDecaux), websites, streaming providers, and well-known TV programs all shook with simulated content tremors. Anyone was able to participate using the hashtag, #Wachbeben, and by using the specially provided campaign filters on social networks.
“After a certain time, the coverage of major disasters unfortunately diminishes. This applies to earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes in many countries worldwide. And it also applies to the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Then it can happen that the suffering of people is forgotten. But the need often remains high,” stated Dr Thilo Reichenbach, head of brand and online at Aktion Deutschland Hilft. “We want to shake people up with the campaign and remind them of the earthquake.”
“We have worked closely with our Turkish colleagues from the beginning, who were close to the events and all knew someone who was affected by the earthquake – and still is today,” commented Eric Schoeffler, chief creative officer Havas Germany and ECD Europe. “It is high time to wake up the public so that they can turn their attention back to those who need our help.”
Das große Wachbeben was also supported by large companies such as Reckitt Germany, Stadtwerke Düsseldorf AG, DWS Investment GmbH, Justdiggit, and the state capital, Düsseldorf.
