• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, April 12, 2017

The Gunn Report has teamed with ACT Responsible to create a ranking recognizing the best cause-related ad campaigns in 2016 called The Good Report. The most successful cause-related campaign for the year per the report was “Nivea Doll,” from FCB Brasil (Sao Paulo) for client Nivea, designed to teach kids in a fun way about the importance of using sun screen. 

The campaign featured kits containing UV sensitive toy dolls and Nivea sun screen. The dolls turn red when exposed to the sun but return to their normal color when sun screen with UV protection is applied to them. Not only do children learn about sun screen, they also sit still when it’s being applied to them as they’re applying it to the doll. (Or at least that’s the idea.) 

A total of 702 campaigns from 71 countries were evaluated for the report. The ranking is created by combining the industry’s recognition as measured by the Gunn Report, the promotional effort behind the campaigns and public support reflected in voting organized by ACT responsible. 

Taking the number two spot on the ranking was a campaign called “Priceless Traps” from Geometry Global Bogota on behalf of Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainability.  It focused on the problem of the invasive lionfish in Caribbean waters that are gobbling up local seafood supplies and endangering local fishing economies.  Lionfish have few if any natural predators in the region (they’re native to the Indo-Pacific) and the campaign illustrated how local fisherman could quickly and affordably build traps to catch the invasive species. The traps were credited with saving millions of indigenous fish vital to the area’s fishing economy last year. 

“This Girl Can” ranked number three on the list. The campaign, from FCB Inferno for Sport England promoted and celebrated female physical fitness in the UK. 

“Print For Help,” also from FCB Brasil (Sao Paulo) ranked fourth. For client HP, the campaign showed how globally networked printers could quickly disseminate posters about missing people in the country.  

Rounding out the top-5 spots was an anti-cyberbully effort from Prolam Y&R Santiago for UNICEF. 

The report also has lists of the most successful agencies, agency networks and advertisers promoting good causes for the year.  More on the report and its rankings can be found here.