Good for all the right reasons

This spot supports a good cause, but that's not why I like it. Nor do I think the production quality is especially commendable.



What makes this a great ad is that it's driven by a very simple, easily relatable insight - that most people see a homeless person on the street and don't feel comfortable walking over to give that person money. The reasons why are endless - he might hurt me. She might be using the cash for things other than food. He might have a disease. How do I know she's really homeless and this isn't just a full time "job"?

Whether or not we agree with any of these reactions, the fact is they're real and most of us have probably reacted similarly at least once in our lives.

But what if we could donate money as easily as we text a friend to say hello? What if we could be assured the money we want to give to help the homeless was actually being used in a constructive way capable of real impact?

I realize the text-to-donate idea is nothing new - that's just a mechanism here; an effective one, but just a mechanism. The decision to use this mechanism in light of the insight is what I think is smart.

The genius here is how the spot paints a picture in 30 seconds of exactly how our money, should we choose to donate, will help transform the lives of the less fortunate into something a little bit bitter - by replacing their park bench or city stoop with a house. And we don't have to walk up to some guy laying on the side of the street and hand over dollar bills, all we need to do is send a text message.

There's a whole insight-driven problem-solution story here that speaks for itself, which is how you know it's ON STRATEGY.