The Netherlands is still relatively tame when in comes to branded content. The Dutch are notoriously direct and down to earth, therefore easily disengaged by in-your-face adverts. Dutchmen are quick to raise an eyebrow when they catch a hint of advertising in their entertainment. We have seen bloggers, branded TV formats and branded editorials dabble in branded content, and even seen some growth in branded videos on YouTube and Vine. But when ‘Sweetie’ dropped, it really raised the bar and set a high standard for branded content and entertainment in the Netherlands. Our mission was clear, if we were to touch the hearts and minds of The Netherlands, it had to be a righteously powerful message. That’s why we had to share the story of Anthony Graves.

We released the true story of a prisoner’s last day on Death Row, together with the Death Penalty report. The film really brought the stats to life, as it created the viewer’s belief that the prisoner would be executed. The film spread organically as many of the Amnesty followers interacted with its content. The film got picked up by other Amnesty offices and went global. We also targeted Dutch broadcasters to spread Anthony’s story for free, on TV and in cinemas.

Anthony Graves was the best spokesperson imaginable. A man who was wrongly convicted in 1992 for the mass murder of six people in Somerville Texas and spent 18,5 years on Death Row. During our campaign period two other Americans also got exonerated from the Death Penalty. Besides that, firing squads and poison used in executing the Death Penalty were hot topics of discussion – news we tapped into.

Without any media budget, the film generated well over 120.000 views within 48 hours in the Netherlands alone. It ended up being the most viewed and liked video of Amnesty International The Netherlands. The discussion around the Death Penalty spread globally and got picked up by news outlets, such as CNN, Al Jazeera and the BBC. Traditional media organizations were moved by the online film as well and broadcasted it on TV and in cinemas for several weeks. All this resulted in earned media coverage worth € 9.193.750,-