As 2015 comes to a close, I thought I would share what I consider to be the best campaign of 2015; Showpony Advertising ‘s “Keep your hands off our Ambos!” campaign. The very confronting, raw video translated into incredible results for SA Health; resulting in a very successful campaign.

The campaign focused on raising awareness for the violence Ambo’s face when performing their duties.  Showpony were dutifully recognised for the campaign, rewarded with a elusive Gold Effie.

Utilising social media, the video went viral.  Mass reach was achieved through unpaid organic reach, resulting in a cost effective campaign.  The video was also shared by many paramedic pages on Facebook, along with being broadcasted by news and current affairs programs.

“Reaching over 2.3 million people across 13 different countries, our video has been viewed more than 800,000 times. With over 70,000 likes, comments and shares, the public has engaged with the video, not as an ad, but as a social issue.” (Jamie Scott, September 17 2015)

The campaign was incredibly effective, resulting in a 37% reduction in incidence of violence against Ambos, demonstrating changes in behaviour as a result of the campaign.