#TheDonationMap

Entrant name:  Havas Digital Kyiv

Advertiser: UNITED24

Awards — Contest / Category:

Best of Contest — Creative Communications / Integrated & Innovation / Small Budget Campaign

Best of Contest — Creative Communications / Branded Content & Entertainment / Branded Games

Gold — Client`s View / Digital & Mobile Advertising/Social Media & Influence / Not-Profit/Charity

Silver — Creative Communications / Direct Marketing / Gaming

Silver — Craft/Technology / Digital/Mobile/Social Media Craft / New Realities/Metaverse

Silver — Social Goals Contests / Local Solutions / Digital & Mobile

With TheDonationMap, we created a unique experience for gamers to connect with the Ukrainian cause, helping them in a tangible way to make a difference, supported by UNITED24, the official fundraising platform for Ukraine.  

By using the Fortnite creator monetization system for a cause, it provided an experience for gamers and made them engage to support the rebuild of an hospital in Ukraine. The campaign reached a broad audience beyond gamers through effective multi-channel communication, making the map a focal point for solidarity. TheDonationMap exemplifies the impact of such an activation in mobilizing and engaging a global audience around a cause, setting a new benchmark for charitable campaigns.

Strategy. Data gathering was pivotal, utilizing Fortnite’s analytics to understand gamer behavior and preferences.  

Our key strategic approach was to leverage on Fortnite’s XP enthusiasts, particularly those with a propensity for social involvement. The Donation Map allows gamers to earn XP: the longer they stay on the map, the longer they generate XP. In the meantime, the longer they stay on the map, the longer they generate donations for UNITED24 through Fortnite’s monetization feature, making it seamless for gamers to contribute.  We then decided to engage Fortnite’s global gamer community through this dual reward: XP for gamers, donations for UNITED24, creating a compelling reason to participate. This strategic alignment of gamers’ goals with philanthropic outcomes fostered a symbiotic relationship, ensuring that time spent on the map was doubly beneficial. It was a win-win at the core of our strategy to turn virtual support into real-world aid. 

Execution. It took months to develop the map and recreate exactly the Maidan in Ukraine. 

When the map was ready, we launched the activation in a very precise timeline. The timeline was carefully planned, with a PR burst at launch and sustained visibility thereafter. Placement was global, utilizing DOOH in strategic locations worldwide, media coverage across general, tech, gaming, and daily news, influencer partnerships, and In-Stream campaigns. The goal was to reach a broad audience and directing them to the map to make money. The international media plan, made possible by the generosity of industry actors, allowed for free global resonance. The aim is to make visiting the map a habitual, intergenerational activity, transforming virtual support into tangible aid. 

This execution strategy ensured a wide-reaching impact in a very quick way.

Creativity and innovation. The idea of TheDonationMap is to redirect Fortnite’s monetization feature to support UNITED24 generating donations through the experience gamers live on a dedicated Fortnite Map. 

It’s a groundbreaking fusion of gaming and philanthropy, transforming the virtual world of Fortnite into a unique brand experience for gamers with UNITED24, and more generally speaking a one-of-a-kind experience with the Ukrainian cause. By recreating Kyiv’s Independence Square within the game, it offered gamers a unique opportunity to contribute to the real-world cause of rebuilding the Prybuzka ambulatory clinic in Ukraine. It’s a win win activation. By spending time on the map, gamers earn XP to develop their avatar and Fortnite pays the map’s creator : UNITED24. 

The map also became a place for all Ukrainians to gather and express their will of freedom.

Results. At the start of the campaign, we managed to reach more than 1.3 billion people from 51 countries through multichannel communications. In less than a month, TheDonationMap attracted over 10k players, with 7k unique players. It secured the top #1 spot in Fortnite’s “hidden gems” for 24 hours and remained in the TOP #15 most searched maps for 5 consecutive hours, peaking in the TOP #10 for an hour. The map organically became a community hub for camaraderie, support, and expression, with players sharing moments of unity and dance. This development confirms the map’s appeal and users’ motivation to visit and stay. The return rate was favorable, and through exploration mode, TheDonationMap educated players on the history of Independence Square, emphasizing the importance of prolonged engagement. Far from having an expiration date, TheDonationMap is set to remain active indefinitely, contributing month by month to the reconstruction of the outpatient clinic in Mikolaiv, making it a habitual destination for all generations and ensuring ongoing engagement and support.