• by Larissa Faw , December 4, 2015

Smile Train has performed more than 1 million cleft palate surgeries for children living in Third World countries and in order to encourage more donations, the charity is introducing Grouchy Carols, a campaign to "spread joy of giving." 

Developed by creative agency SS+K, the project features actors performing six classic holiday carols—with new lyrics that highlight the moments that "threaten to take your smile away: unhelpful party guests, stressful shopping experiences, awkward office parties and more.

Five of the online narrations are holiday themed, while the sixth--Grouchy New Year--will be available from December 26 to 31. 

People select one of six pre-recorded carols and craft a customized message for their grouchy friend, then share the link via social media or email. They are also encouraged to make a donation. 

The recipient receives the message, gets their smile back, and is then encouraged to send their own message to someone else, as well as make a donation.  

“Our challenge was to find a way to reach younger donors without alienating Smile Train’s core audience,” said SS+K creative director Armando Flores. “That’s why the videos balance topics that are universal—travel woes, the pressure to host the perfect party—with ones that are more millennial—like a post-Thanksgiving Instagram feed overflowing with pictures of food.” 

Grouchy Carols is the final phase of the three-month holiday initiative for the international cleft charity that began in October and is designed to more precisely target the donor audience.   

For instance, display ads in an earlier phase of the campaign found prospective donors on the web based on their search behavior. The effort also reached prospects through strategically placed native ads that placed Smile Train's message within online content.

The campaign also reached users on their mobile devices and through digital outdoor placements in malls, street transit units and NYC office buildings as part of a multi-channel "text to donate" initiative.