Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants: Bentley Burial

Campaign details

Brand Owner: Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants
Agency: Leo Burnett Tailor Made
Brand: Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants
Country: Brazil
Industry: Government & Non-Profit
Channels Used: Live Event, PR, viral, word-of-mouth

Executive Summary

The Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants, a not-for-profit organisation, was finding it difficult to reach potential donors. So it decided to launch a stunt featuring a Brazilian billionaire, a US$500,000 car and a lot of social media outrage. Post-campaign, organ donations increased by 31.5% in a month.

Campaign background

Our client faced a struggle for recognition. Potential donors are not shocked by the waste in burying organs that could save lives. But, instead, they are shocked by other things – such as burying a luxury car.

Insight and strategy

To give potential donors a shock, we enlisted the help of a very famous and eccentric Brazilian billionaire, Count Chiquinho Scarpa for this campaign.

Scarpa was well-known for his interest in Ancient Egypt. So he posted on his Facebook page that he would bury his own Bentley, which was valued at US$500,000 in the yard of his mansion, an act, he claimed, that was inspired by the ancient pharaohs who buried their treasures.

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Implementation

From Scarpa's Facebook posts came a huge social media impact – and backlash.

People were revolted by the idea of the billionaire burying such a valuable car. The media also strongly criticised the Count's decision – just as we expected – on every TV channel, radio station, magazine, newspaper and internet portal in the country. Even abroad, it made the headlines.

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Examples of media coverage

But, on the day of the burial, with all of Brazil's media gathered at the Count's house and broadcasting live, and after the car was placed inside its grave, Scarpa interrupted.

He declared: "I won't bury my car, but everybody thought it absurd. Absurd is what people do every day – bury their healthy organs."

Finally, the involvement of the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants in the Bentley Burial was revealed. And it was announced that the National Week of Organ Donations had just begun.

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Results

  • Organ donations increased by 31.5% in one month.
  • More than 172 million people were impacted on social networks alone.
  • The campaign achieved US$22m in earned media support, including Facebook posts, the Bentley Burial event, free media on TV, radio, magazines, newspapers and internet portals.
  • On Twitter, it was the #1 trending topic in Brazil and #2 in the world.