Best examples of advocacy campaign

The examples of activism we saw above were those that were strictly

powered through social media. Though it created awareness and
encouraged people to act, these movements were not combined with
mainstream (or traditional) protests. 
In these examples we will see how organizations used social media to
further their cause. 

Example #1: Post it Forward

The aim of launching “Post It Forward” was to break down silos of
cyberbullying, body shaming, and issues related to sexuality.
Tumblr launched the “Post It Forward” campaign in 2015 to promote
positivity and support within online communities. People were invited
to share their personal stories and struggles without the fear of being
judged. Individuals facing emotional or psychological distress could
engage in a positive conversation and find the support they needed.
Use of the tag #PostItForward made it easy to connect users directly to
support and counseling resources and to find other stories.

How did it succeed?

The campaign caught the attention and was supported by some very
important people like ex VP Joe Biden, celebrities like Brittany Snow,
Pete Wentz, Jordin Sparks, Elizabeth Banks, Wendy Williams and
First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray. These personalities
helped jump-start the conversation by sharing their personal stories
and advice.
The tag was not only going viral on Tumblr, but also across leading
social platforms like Instagram, Youtube, and Twitter. Using GIF’s
made the campaign popular among younger audiences ( their target
segment ) and selling merchandise helped increased donations.
Takeaways
 Make your campaign discoverable through eye-catching
#HashTags
 Use vivid art and quick-witted content to gain attention
 Make use of GIFs so that teens can relate to it better
 Tag celebrities to help jump-start your campaign
 Sell limited-edition merchandise to leverage the popularity you
built

Example #2: He for She

UN women initiated the “He for She” campaign towards the
advancement of gender equality. It seeks to actively involve men and
boys in a movement against inequality originally conceived as a
struggle for women by women.

The movement was launched in 2015. Emma Watson, UN Women

Goodwill Ambassador, spoke about her own struggles and called upon
men and boys to join the movement, the video was widely circulated
via social media.

How did it succeed?

Within 24 hours of its launch, HeForShe saw an 82% increase in
Twitter followers, a 305% increase in Facebook likes and 3500%
increase in Instagram followers. In their video, the UN Women made a
call to mobilize the first 100,000 men which were achieved within
three days of its launch.
The campaign created more than 1.2 billion conversations over major
social media platforms. It had a positive effect on a small village in
Zimbabwe. The villagers were committed to turning themselves into
better husbands, fathers, and brothers.
The campaign sought active support from Heads of states,
corporations, and universities. Former President Barack Obama, actor
Matt Damon, and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were
the first ones to take up the cause.

Takeaways
 Add a deadline for your campaign, it adds a sense of urgency
 Don’t limit yourself to a single channel, be where your audience is
 Promote the positive impact your campaign has had to keep the
momentum going
Related Read: 52 Proven Nonprofit Fundraising Ideas to Raise Funds
in 2019

Example #3: Hashtag Killer

“Water is Life” launched the hashtag Killer campaign to bring clean
drinking water to the world’s poorest populations. The organization
took a popular tag, used every day across social media, and gave it an
entirely new meaning.
The #Firstworldproblems meme is associated with tweets about trivial
life burdens of people such as forgetting the last name of the maid
while writing a cheque or leaving clothes in the washer for so long that
it smells.
The campaign video features Haitians reciting a list of these “first
world problem” tweets, with a series of personalized responses to
console those who used the tag on Twitter. The aim was to generate
donations to help third world countries.

How did it succeed?

The campaign generated awareness and its message was spread all
over social media.  It won several awards for the innovative use of the
popular meme #Firstworldproblems. The YouTube video received
over 6 million views and several thousand shares over various social
channels.
Celebrities like LMFAO, Christina Milian, Michael Ian Black, and
others responded to the trivial tweets, which kick-started the
campaign and gave it wide attention.
The aim was met successfully. The organization was able to drill six
new wells and install a water treatment plant in Northern Haiti.

Takeaways
 Use popular memes and give it a totally different meaning to tailor
your campaign
 Use humor to create videos
 Make sure that your posts are being shared and circulated

Example #4: Big Tobacco Be Like

Truth launched the “Big Tobacco Be Like” campaign to dismantle
delusions surrounding social smoking. The video demonstrates how
every time an individual tries to rationalize social smoking, Big
Tobacco gets paid. The campaign made use of the popular #BeLike
meme with humorous spin-offs.