According to the QUT Centre on Philanthropy and nonprofit Studies, for every 437 people in Australia is 1 charity. As the advertising for this sector becomes more cut-throat, the big players are finding new ways to stand out.

The Australian Childhood Foundation took its hard-hitting Stop Child Abuse Now campaign to the streets, promoting the message that neglected children are made to feel invisible.

In Finland, UNICEF launched this controversial campaign. Shock tactics saw a pram abandoned in the streets, with the sound of a baby crying from the inside. When passerbys got up close they were greeted with the message: “Thank you for caring. We hope there are more people like you. UNICEF. Be a Mom for a moment.”

It’s a hard-hitting campaign that certainly questions the appropriateness of embarking on such a sensitive topic. But as a brand in the short term, UNICEF received an increase in web traffic of 1000% throughout the campaign and a rise in donations of 10%.

There is no doubt these innovative examples are gaining attention and could beckon other sectors to follow.

Thanks to: ABC Radio National, Inventing the third sector, May 16th with Stephen Crittenden, UNICEF, bootstrappingblog.com, Australian Childhood Foundation, campaignbrief.com, QUT Centre on Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies

Heard the hype about Fanta’s launch in Canada? In a refreshing way, it has nothing to do with Twitter, Facebook or any other new media.

Like the Vodafone campaign, it’s about creating an engaging brand experience. Could this be a sign that, as we see a shift in consumer values towards what really matters, authentic experiences in advertising are the new black?

Richard Chapman, Director of Impact says, ‘Brand experiences can still be one of the most effective ways to provide a tangible consumer experience. This example from Fanta demonstrates how a brand’s essence can be brought to life while evoking a sense of innocence and playfulness among a broad consumer target.’

By splashing painted puddles on the floors of shopping malls, the playful part of the execution came with the nostalgic childhood sounds of ‘boing boing, children laughing and animal noises’, as people jumped over the play puddles.

The campaign isn’t intrusive, but inviting. It’s incredibly simple, yet effective in its aim of catching shoppers off-guard in a fun and light-hearted way.

Thanks to: Taxi, Fanta, Richard Chapman and Media Post

For General Electric, being positioned as a key mover in the green solution is crucial in building consumer trust and co-operation. Any product or service under similar pressures could learn from its intelligent campaign.

The educational campaign focuses on its Smart Grid vision for smarter and more efficient use of energy. And while it’s a complex story to tell, they’ve done a convincing job by using the right media to portray the appropriate levels of information.

We want to talk about the online component, because its use of new technology alone is impressive in demonstrating that GE knows how to apply new technology to an old problem. One way it demonstrates this is through augmented reality, a technology that brings real world elements into a digital hologram. Consumers can see a digital hologram of the technology come to life in their hands.

Have a look for yourself…

This is the first time we’ve seen augmented reality technology used to interact with a consumer in an advertising campaign. Even more novel is to see a traditional services company breaking new ground in the advertising space, but GE has proven here that traditional can also be forward-thinking.

For an overview of the campaign in its entirety: http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/preview/

Thanks to: General Electric

In America, car manufacturer Hyundai takes a step that incorporates empathy as part of its advertising messages with America’s Best Warranty. The idea being if you buy a car from Hyundai and then lose your job, you can simply take the car back – no questions asked.

Thanks to: Hyundai

Foxtel embraces this trend with its ‘Good Thinking’ campaign that invites people to stay at home and save with Foxtel. And it appears to be working, the company recently reported a 19% rise in half-year earnings.

Thanks to: Foxtel

People’s perception of value has changed. In 2009 we will see consumers’ normal obsession with consumerism put to the test as we start to witness a shift in consumer sentiment.

Needless consumption is out. Being frugal is in. Brands that can demonstrate how they add authentic meaning and alignment of values to the individual will win.

Here are a few examples of how everyday people are changing for the better:

US digital expert, David Armano tested the strength of digital communities with a plea to help out a family in need. No one knew them and yet he raised in excess of $US16,000. Details of the heart warming story are here.

Dave Ingham from Ryde created his business Rentachook so people could experience having their own chickens for six weeks before they committed to keeping them. Today, families all over Sydney (at least) have rented chickens - providing them with their own eggs.

Suddenlyfrugal.wordpress.com developed by American Mum, Leah Ingram, provides people with money saving tips, so inspiring she has become famous in the media.

There is no doubt the financial crisis has prompted this attitude, but it’s encouraging to see something positive coming out of this.

Thanks To: Suddenly Frugal, David Armano, Dave Ingham from Rentachook