ABOUT

CONCEPT
Wear Blue for Rescue (WBFR) was a campaign born out of Battersea’s desire to create an ownable moment in the annual calendar of charity events; something activation-driven, that supporters old and new could get behind to support rescue animals. The campaign was live throughout September 2023 (and will become an annual event) and had a few key objectives:

1. Create visibility for rescue animals via the use of the Rescue Symbol.
2. Generate financial support.
3. Inspire long-term engagement, support and awareness of our wider work.
4. Reach, attract and engage new supporters, and deepen engagement with current supporters.

The campaign focused on both visibility and action and aimed to provide a ‘way in’ to Battersea for new and existing audiences – a joyful, inclusive, annual moment that everyone can participate in, whether they're dogs, cats or humans; prospective or current pet owners; or simply an animal lover to help Battersea continue to be here for every dog and cat.


EXECUTION
WBFR was brought to life across a series of different mediums. Print and retail items were used to share the Rescue Symbol widely. The public could purchase items such as umbrellas, dog tags, tote bags etc. to show their support for Battersea and rescue animals. We also set up a value exchange mechanism — allowing interested parties to sign up for a free pin badge or pet tag, in exchange for their details for a follow up call to see if they’d like to become a regular donor to our animals. Supporters could also sign-up to raise money for rescue animals through Walk for Rescue, a 30, 60, or 90km walk with their dog throughout the month of September.

TV and BVOD was used to drive recognition and reach, while innovative outdoor advertising (you might have seen WBFR on anything and everything from digital six sheets and London buses and taxis, to lighting up Tower 42) allowed us to get our message out to the public in a fun and engaging way. Partnerships with a host of different companies were a fantastic way to increase reach and engage new audiences. A few of the opportunities included working with Tower 42 who lit up the sky with the Rescue Symbol, a Queens Park Rangers match day takeover, fundraising support from the cast of The Play That Goes Wrong and much, much more.

We also used paid digital marketing to drive retail sales and ValEx sign ups, and utilised our own digital channels, as well as our ambassador and celebrity relationships to build excitement around the campaign and ultimately, rescue animals.


RESULTS
WBFR had a host of objectives that all laddered up to one overarching goal - helping more dogs and cats. 2023 was the first year of trying to embed WBFR as an annual calendar ‘moment’ and the results were encouraging. Key stats are as follows:

Almost one quarter of the public (22%) recognised WBFR when shown a montage of campaign activity.
Attribution of WBFR to Battersea was at 73%.
The digital campaign saw a lower than targeted CPM (£4.23 vs £4.97).
Income via our corporate partners totalled £8,221.
Retail performance was strong. 4122 orders were made in the Battersea shop in September; 78% of these included at least one WBFR-branded item.

2023 was a foundational event for WBFR, which is intended to be an annual event that we can build and grow. The broader results from our post-event survey spoke to the campaign engaging current supporters, and attracting new. Our online content creator work in particular helped us engage an additional 370k people, many of whom were in the younger demographic.