Who really gives a toss?

Thursday, 28 October 2010

Someone needs shooting...

Either it's me, because this Facebook ad is well targeted, or it's the person who did the targeting.

Either way, I feel a bit depressed.

James

Tuesday, 26 October 2010

Every now and then, someone scribbles on some copy that you can't start a sentence with a conjunction. Apparently, it contravenes the age-old rules of grammar.

Well so does the word of God. So there.

This wonderful nugget comes courtesy of Mr George Smith. If you have anything at all to do with writing to people to ask for money then you should buy his little book. And his big book.

James

Thursday, 21 October 2010

Breaking down the wall...

We're not actually closed, but with James and Tim out of the country, the builders are in knocking through to next door and our new creative studio.

It's all a bit dusty at the moment, but it'll be worth it when we have our new drum kit and account-team-sensitive trapdoor...

Richard

Tuesday, 19 October 2010

Hello Amsterdam...

We're off the IFC in Amsterdam to see the cutting edge of fundraising. Or, to be more precise, we're off to somewhere that is to Amsterdam what Luton is to London to see what the cutting edge of fundraising was last year when people had to apply to talk about it.

As well as worshiping at the feet of the Elischer, we'll be doing a couple of quick talks about our WWF Tiger thing at the SOFII workshops and, I hope, getting in some nice long runs along the beach.

Anyway, in the unlikely event that you are here looking for more information about Open, can I recommend that you don't bother visiting our frankly embarrassing website and instead call me on +44 7768 398482. Or, better still, call Tim on +44 7967 373174 – he's much more charming than I am.

Then we can buy you a drink and say hello.

James

Join our movement, else we'll blow you up...

Crazy advert from 10:10. Nothing like a convincing argument to get people to do something, eh...

Might have to try that one. Letter bomb in a reminder letter? Anthrax in a £1 pack? Maybe not.

UPDATE>>> 10:10 apologise for REALLY BAD video, although it might be a little too late as Sony distance themselves from campaign. Woops.

Richard

Thursday, 14 October 2010

Hands up for Burma

Here is an interesting campaign idea from Amnesty International, especially since our Christmas appeal for Christian Aid – on a very similar subject – is winging its way to the printers as we speak.

With 2,200 political prisoners in Burma, and thousands more exiled to the Thai-Burma border, AI are collecting 5,000 photos for their petition. All the photos will be collected and taken to the summit meeting of political leaders from South East Asia in Viet Nam at the end of October – the Association of South East Asian nations summit (ASEAN).

What's interesting about it though, is the writing of one prisoner's name on your hand. We've been talking a lot lately at Open about giving donors the choice of where their money goes. This petition allows you to physically pick out and align yourself to one real person, creating, not so much a sense of ownership, but certainly a strong bond and sense of responsibility.

At a time when signing an online petition can be super-quick, yet super-impersonal, this is a real nice piece of supporter engagement in action. You can watch the video to accompany the campaign at the end of this post, after some photos of Open standing with the people of Burma.