To drive advocacy and fundraising for the health and wellbeing of the underprivileged around the world who were struggling with hunger - an unfortunate deterrent to good health and wellbeing - we transformed a channel everyone in the UAE and in Dubai were familiar with (i.e. car plates).

And we activated that channel through earning attention via leading media and social media voices.They launched it, helped fuel speculation and then, revealed the intent behind the idea.

In turn, we influenced registrations from the ultra-elite to a special auction of number plates we designed to raise funds to fight hunger worldwide.

Starvation is fast becoming the world's worst health and humanitarian crisis. The World Food Programme reported the world needs $30 billion dollars-per-year to feed the world's hungry people and end global hunger by 2030.

But the world has funds to fights world hunger and starvation. We have multi-billionaires, across the world, who can help with world hunger. David Beasley, Director of UN’s World Food Programme stated: “Billionaires need to step up now. Because with 400 trillion dollars’ worth of wealth in our world today, shame on us that we let any child die from hunger.”

The UN called for support from Governments to help. The UAE Government responded via MBRGI Global Initiatives, that launched the “One Billion Meals” campaign in Ramadan 2022 to donate 1 billion meals to feed the hungry around the world. To help drive contributions, the UAE Government Media Office sought support to drive advocacy and fundraising.

The Creative Idea: Empty plates to generate advocacy and fundraising for empty plates, turning a symbol of vanity into a beacon of hope and good health.

Driving awareness for plates that truly matter, we transformed the typical number plate auctions in the UAE, that sold unique plates to UAE's ultra high-networth elites, who held the funds to help fight hunger. We re-engineered those frivolous auctions, where number plates are sold for millions of dollars, into more meaningful ones to fight hunger. And in turn, we gave the auctions a purpose.

Next importantly, to create buzz and awareness around those auctions and attract ultra high net-worth elites of UAE, we wanted to create the most unique number plates ever - to fight the empty plates around the world. And we designed the world's first Empty Plates for cars driving across the country, to disrupt media and attract attention from the elite.

Unique car number plates are extremely valuable in the UAE; a symbol of vanity.

VIP number plates with unique digits (such as 8 or 002 or 0001) or repeated numbers (such as 7777 or 88) also attract speculation on social media around the amount spent on each plate.

These number plates are sold at auctions. People pay millions for these license plates; every year around $10 million are spent on unique number plates. 8 out of 10 of the world’s most expensive license plates were bought in Dubai.

Unfortunately, while these car plates get noticed, millions of other plates go unnoticed.

While costs spent on these number plates were going up, the cost of plates of food for those hungry was going up too; increasing worldwide, exponentially, every year, exacerbated by the pandemic’s impact.

We decided to use these number plates to attract attention to the plates that truly mattered.

Earning legitimate attention from UAE's elite was essential.

Now, that would be achieved by making the idea popular through influential platforms.

With the public and even the police not knowing about them, we got 300 cars with specially designed empty number plates, sourced for free, to take over streets of the UAE.

And through social media and micro-influencers, the empty plates fueled speculation and controversy, earning attention of everyone - even getting police to tow them away - and generated nation-wide buzz.

Once enough curiosity was raised, we worked with influential social media and media voices to reveal the real reason (fighting world hunger), attracting even further regional and global attention.

Cross-channel content revealed more about the idea and targeted to ultra-high-net worth individuals, both via online profiling as well as through direct marketing, we invited the ultra-elite to attend the meaningful auction, with ALL funds going to fight hunger.

A SYMBOL OF VANITY DID BECOME A BEACON OF HOPE AND GENEROSITY.

15 key regional organizations joined in and promoted “Empty Plates”.

2 Billion people were reached.

We earned $4.7 Million in free media value, including coverage from international news

networks, with an average 60 seconds of airtime on each news network.

“Empty Plates” trended on Twitter and Instagram.

We attracted 460,000 comments and shares and overall, 980,000 Interactions on social

media.

Importantly, all this buzz and awareness attracted support for the cause and ultra-elite

individuals’ attention towards the crisis of world hunger, making a positive change.

DROVE UNPRECEDENTED FUNDRAISING:

The number plates auction raised $43.8 million raised - in just 2 days.

As part of that amount raised, $2 million were raised for the “Empty Plate” too.

We achieved the target within 12 days of campaigning and 2 days of auctioning i.e.,

within 14 days vs. the target of 30 days.

This was the world’s largest-ever humanitarian auction in terms of funds raised.

AND HELPED ALLEVIATE HUNGER:

As a result, 164 million meals were donated across 50 countries in need.

And overall, MBGRI was able to successfully complete the One Billion Meals campaign

within the month of Ramadan.

Additional results:

187% earned media ROI. We earned $4.7 million earned media value for a media investment of $25,000; i.e., a return of 187%.

972% donations ROI. We generated $43.8 million in charitable donations for a total investment of $45,000; i.e., a return of 972%.

In Ramadan, a month of fasting, generosity and humanity, donation drives are aplenty and it’s all for a good cause.

So, the timing was essential, as people were more cognizant towards the underprivileged.

Now, to help with the "One Billion Meals” initiative and contribute $20 million dollars, we needed to achieve a BIG target in 30 days.

To make that BIG difference, we needed to target those who would spend BIG.

In their early 40s to their 50s, these were ultra-high-net-worth individuals with wealth

spanning tens of millions, hundreds of millions and billions worth in investments, assets

and net-worth.

They enjoyed status and exclusivity, and the badge value and social currency that came with it.

They enjoyed owning rare objects and living rare experiences that few can own and live.

To appeal to them, we needed to feed those desires, to feed the millions of empty plates around the world.