The UN needed to bring attention to the Millennium Development Goals while letting people know that world leaders had agreed to fulfil them by 2015. People usually think problems far away don’t concern them; with a limited budget we set out to prove that distance between us isn’t that great and make a global statement, to inspire people to help us spread awareness of the goals.

We created Swim Across the Continents, where one man, Marcos Diaz, would swim from one continent to the next, uniting the world and demonstrating we’re not that far apart.We used social networks and our website as the main platform for our campaign. Through downloadable content and tools provided on the site, we incited people to participate and make the campaign their own. We organized worldwide simultaneous swim events asking people to join the swim. Public figures and international and local brands showed their support. Marcos met with world leaders and assemblies everywhere, spreading the message of the goals. Millions of dollars were donated in free press, PR and media placement and over 47 countries joined the simultaneous swims. The Millennium Development Goals gained great exposure.

We needed to make a global statement that would attract global media and in turn, bring exposure to the eight Millennium Development Goals. We wanted to prove that the world’s problems affect us all and inspire people to become active and help us spread awareness of these goals.Social networks and blogs have become an indispensable tool because of their high reach, low cost and efficiency - making it the perfect medium to convey our message and make people part of a movement that the media could not ignore. Overall this would gain the attention of the media and help the cause.

Before the swim:-Press conference in the UN building in New York to launch the project and campaign.-Mapped out most the popular social networks, forming an online platform.-Uploaded videos for the campaign. Identified key bloggers worldwide.-Website provided content on the Millennium Goals (video, research, photographs) and downloadable tools (banners, posters, t-shirt stencils).-Turned the website into a community - through discussion boards, links and interaction.During the swim:-Involved public figures and celebrities to build excitement and attract the media.-Organized worldwide simultaneous swims inviting the world to swim with Marcos: using social networks, providing schedules and time zones.

-Spoke with world leaders, politicians, businessmen, schools, town hall meetings, assemblies, and local and foreign reporters.-Mobilized people worldwide to rally their communities towards the accomplishment of the goals.After the swim:- Took a book with the 'voices of the world' to Ban-Ki Moon during the UN General Assembly

The Millennium Development Goals message gained great exposure, touching millions around the world.

- Thousands of websites, blogs and news sites.- 200 newspaper articles worldwide, 70 front-page publications.

- Appeared on international news networks.

- TV and radio created programming and dedicated space for the goals.- Millions of dollars in free PR, press and media placement.

- Over 47 countries joined the simultaneous swims.- Thousands of volunteers.- Millions of visits through our online platform.

In order to reach a high number of people in an effective, inexpensive manner, we first mapped out the most popular social networks across the globe, creating an online platform. Videos of the project were uploaded and sent to key bloggers in order to fuel an online wildfire and attract media. On our website we provided content and downloadable tools to inform people of the goals and make them spokespeople for the cause. We contacted public figures, local and international brands to support the cause and to catch the attention of the media. Through an integrated campaign we invited swimmers worldwide to simultaneously swim with Marcos.

Ten years had passed since the signing of the eight Millennium Development Goals and little progress had been made to reach them. People were unaware of these goals and that they could demand their accomplishment from world leaders. They tend to think that problems far away don’t concern them; we wanted to prove that distance between us isn’t that great and that the world’s problems affect us all.With a limited budget we set out to make a global statement that would generate news and inspire people to become active and help us spread awareness of the goals.