Here's one of a series of print ads for Cruz Roja Española (Spanish Red Cross) that made it into the Stupid Nonprofit Ads category by a nose. Like many honorees, this one approaches nonprofit marketing through obscure symbolism.
Other than that, it's pretty harmless.
Here's one of the series. Squint real hard, and you can see the cleverness:
Like this one, all the ads in the series are messy, uncompelling photos. Each one contains a red cross, integrated into the photo. The copy says Perhaps you can't see us, but we are there.
I don't get it.
They seem to be saying in this ad that the Red Cross is present at a normal outdoor café. I can buy that. Chances are someone in the crowd has received blood or maybe even disaster assistance.
But what's the point? The Red Cross in omnipresent? Even if true, how is that supposed to move anyone to action of any kind?
Well, really, it's not supposed to move anyone to action. What we have here is the typical ad agency stupidity: Assert (but don't prove) an unremarkable fact about a nonprofit -- but do it in a clever, eye-candy way. It won't impact the real world in any way, but that's okay.
The fact that the copy in these Spanish ads is in English is a sign that these ads are not real attempts at marketing, but award bait.
The world would have been a better place if Cruz Roja had a series of ads that motivated people to give blood or money or even respect. With these ads, the world will be better for the ad agency -- if it wins the award they're after. That's not why Cruz Roja exists, and they should not be participating in it.
Thanks to Creative Advertisements for NGO for the tip. (Other ads in the series are at this link.)
More Stupid Nonprofit Ads.
