TORONTO: Coinciding with the holiday season of giving, Plan Canada (founded in 1937 as Foster Parents Plan) has launched a new short-form direct response television (DRTV) campaign created by Northern Lights Direct Response. Media buying will also be handled by Northern Lights.
At the centre of the 120- and 60-second DRTV commercials shot in Benin, West Africa is Philippe, a 5- year-old boy suffering from severe malnutrition. Campaign host Rod Black – news broadcaster and longtime Plan sponsor and spokesperson – shares with viewers the sad and harsh reality of Philippe’s life. The emotionally compelling campaign, however, conveys hope by explaining how child sponsorship can transform the lives of children like Philippe through Plan’s extraordinary work in communities throughout the developing world. Viewers are asked to sponsor a child by calling Plan’s 1-800 number or visiting www.sponsorachild.ca.
“Despite the heartbreaking story of Philippe, this DRTV campaign is about hope, and how easily it can be brought to underprivileged children and their communities through child sponsorship,” says Becky Crampton, Plan Canada’s Director of Marketing. “This is what the holiday season is about.”
The campaign rolls out this week.
Northern Lights Direct Response is a leading brand-based direct response agency in North America. We offer full turnkey strategy, media, creative and production services in the U.S. and Canada for Direct Response Television, Direct Response Radio and Direct Response Online campaigns. Clients include Manulife Financial, BMG Columbia House, Lavalife, Sports Illustrated, Bell, TD Bank Financial Group, DIRECTV, Scholastic and Yves Rocher.
Plan, one of the world’s largest child-centred international development organizations, works to improve the lives of children and their communities in more than 45 of the world’s poorest countries and aims to assist people in breaking out of the cycle of poverty. It has no religious, political or governmental affiliation. For more information on Plan Canada, please visit plancanada.ca.
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For further information:
Ian French, President and Executive Creative Director, Northern Lights Direct Response Television
Phone: (416) 593-6104 x 223. Email:
ian@nldrtv.com. Website:
www.nldrtv.com.
