Digital For Good

Agency: dentsu mcgarrybowen, Isobar
Client: Urban Vision / Market: Italy

During the pandemic, health misinformation was a significant challenge for governments and healthcare providers. Urban Vision in Italy felt that this was an urgent problem for local services that needed to be addressed. We partnered with them to take the fight against fake news to the streets by creating an advertisement that used digital billboards to talk about misinformation around COVID-19.

Working with Urban Vision, our campaign, ‘Break the Fake’, ran in a prominent position on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan’s famous shopping thoroughfare, and used the latest 3D technology to engage with shoppers and passers-by in support of vaccination and the correct information.

Stefano Morelli, Chief Creative Officer of dentsu, said: “Campaigns that are committed to improving the society in which we live are a must, especially at a time like this.”

Agency: dentsu UK & Ireland
Client: WeAre8 / Market: United Kingdom

WeAre8, a new sustainable ad platform, offers a tailored media market to clients who want to engage with consumers directly on important issues. It also places sustainability at the heart of mainstream media planning and helps advertisers achieve their environmental, social and governance and sustainability goals.

The platform is at the forefront of the ‘attention economy,’ a concept pioneered by dentsu. Our digital world has created so many ways to engage. It can feel that our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions, which makes it a challenge to focus and retain our valuable attention on what matters most to us. Research revealed that only one third of adverts gain an audience’s full attention. In the UK, we partnered with WeAre8 to tailor media to clients who want to engage with consumers directly on important issues. Using WeAre8, clients can build direct, more impactful relationships and ask questions after someone views an ad, engaging with people in a more personal, intentional way. WeAre8’s ethical, hate-free app allows users to select which adverts they see and when they see them, delivering content on their own terms.

Our partnership not only fosters greater consumer control around digital focus, but also promotes sustainable issues to the forefront of consumers’ minds. Dentsu’s commitment to offering clients effective and sustainable media activations is well aligned with WeAre8’s commitment to share directly with users and charities 55% of every pound spent on the platform, while 1% goes to Ecologi, a carbon- reduction company, to help offset carbon emissions. It also marks the start of a long-term partnership between ‘dentsu Belonging’ and WeAre8 to drive positive change across ethnic diversity, gender equality, LGBTQ+ and other Social Impact issues.

The impact that homogeneous global advertising can have on multiculturalism in society has long been a challenge. Both Merkle, a dentsu company, and Howard University saw an opportunity for collaboration in challenging the status quo.

Merkle is partnering with the Howard University School of Business, a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Washington, DC, to boost its consumer marketing curriculum. By bringing real-world insights, ideas and the latest technology into the classroom, we can help young people find out more about the media and the career opportunities our industry can offer. We developed leading-edge database technology and content to create four courses focused on data science and analytics skills, designed to enhance learning and introduce students to how our industry works. Four subject-matter experts from Merkle have joined the classroom at Howard University to guest lecture, and roughly 100 students have now benefitted from the updated curriculum.

The programme extends beyond the four courses. We also support the School of Business through various other activities, including a summer boot camp and internships to recruit students for full-time careers.

“Merkle is committed to investing in the future workforce and partnering with historically Black colleges and universities to build a sustainable, diverse talent pipeline,” explains Kirt Morris, Global Chief Equity Officer for Merkle/CXM. “Through our partnership, we are ensuring that students in the School of Business gain advanced access to best practices, industry experts and state-of-the- art tools currently being used in marketing and customer experience management.”

Collectively, Merkle and Howard University hope that this partnership will help diversify the talent pipeline, helping to bring under-represented communities and their voices into the marketing industry

As part of our commitment to improve the next generation of talent and harness leadership potential in the digital sector, dentsu colleagues have been volunteering their skills in Ghana, teaching in a group of schools across 2021. We also donated educational materials including computers, projectors, assorted reading materials, maths sets and equipment, crayons and paper to the Tesano Cluster of Schools. This forms part of our wider Social Impact strategy, harnessing the talent, energy and aspirations of our people and delivering for our clients, our shareholders and wider society.

At a donation ceremony in one of the schools, CEO of dentsu Ghana, Mr Andrew Ackah, said: “The fundamental part of our business is communication and communication comes through education. It is essential for the business to have the right skillsets in the right places with the right empowerment culture. At dentsu, we believe the right foundation must be laid to achieve this.”

Mrs Joyce Nana Simmons, Headteacher of Tesano 1KG/Primary School, expressed her excitement, emphasising the importance of the educational materials to the school as they will broaden the students’ horizons

In the future, dentsu Ghana has pledged to maintain and nurture a relationship with the Tesano Cluster of Schools, dedicating further time to educating the children, improving learning outcomes and providing insight into a diverse world of work beyond the school walls