It’s not often you see a large organization like The Human Society of the United States (HSUS) approach their awareness campaigns with tongue firmly set in cheek. But that’s exactly what Carie Lewis and her team have done with their latest campaign for Canadian harp seal protection.
HSUS is using the LOLcats model which includes participants adding funny, witty, or otherwise hilarious captions to photos of kittens. In HSUS’ case however, the photos are of baby harp seals.
Promoted as a contest, visitors select one of the baby seal photos provided and add a caption of their choice. Once submitted, their photo and caption is uploaded to a Flickr gallery and entered into a prize drawing. First place winner will receive a gift bag and have their photo featured on humansociety.org and affiliated social networking websites. Photos will be judged by none other than Nigel Barker from America’s Next Top Model fame!
Why is this method effective?
The LOLcat internet phenomenon is extremely viral, attracting thousands upon thousands of visitors to its site. HSUS is taking advantage of that viral nature as well as the unbearable cuteness of baby seals to expose visitors to HSUS’ campaign information on Canadian seal protection and other initiatives they have undertaken.
Why not take donations while they’re at it?
HSUS very well could do that. They are, after all, attracting potentially thousands of qualified donors. But HSUS has taken the abstract approach with this campaign.
Instead of focusing it around direct donations from visitors, they have provided an extremely unique and fun experience to those new visitors while exposing them to the campaign’s “what” and “why”. They engage their visitors’ feelings through the photography, inform them through the articles, and this in turn drives far more passionate involvement with HSUS.
Congratulations and well done HSUS! For more information, visit the LOLseals section on their website.
By Dan Volkens, Interactive Designer
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