SOS Mayday set up an interesting social experiment asking Norwegian people: would you give up your jacket to a young boy who was alone and shivering at a bus stop without one?
When the boy was asked why he was not wearing a coat, he would reply that it was stolen. Most people were at least kind enough to give him their gloves, scarves or a hoodie, if not the jacket right off their back.
The SOS Mayday campaign was created to raise awareness about similar children in need in Syria and it has been incredibly successful so far. On its site, SOS Mayday notes that "in just 4 days we have raised over 2 million Norwegian kroner (350 000 USD) for the children of Syria."
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Warmth-sharing
- Encourage people to share their unwanted jackets and winter clothes with those in need through local campaigns and social media outreach.
- Social Experiment Campaigns
- Design creative social experiments that test people's willingness to help others and spark conversations about global issues.
- Awareness Fundraising Campaigns
- Create fundraising campaigns that use social experiments to bring attention to specific issues and inspire people to donate to related causes.
Where This Applies
- Non-profit
- Non-profit organizations can use social experiments to raise awareness for their causes and tap into the emotions of potential donors.
- Retail and Fashion
- Retail and fashion companies can partner with non-profits to collect surplus winter clothes and encourage customers to donate to local campaigns.
- Marketing and Advertising
- Marketing and advertising agencies can develop social experiment campaigns and content for non-profit organizations to drive awareness and fundraising efforts.
