In order to protect themselves from contracting Ebola, healthcare workers fighting the disease need full body protective suits, which can be expensive.

Doctors of the World was one of the organizations on the ground, combating the disease in West Africa. They were in dire need of Ebola suits for their doctors on the front line. They asked us to help raise money for these suits.

Around the same time, it was Halloween in America, and the Ebola protective suit was exploding across the news – but for all the wrong reasons: The suit was becoming 2014’s most controversial Halloween Costume, with people wearing it to dress-up parties, and every major news outlet discussing the topic.

Our idea: Turn Halloween 2014’s most controversial news story into donations for real Ebola protective suits. Through a concentrated PR campaign, we intercepted the Ebola Halloween Costume headlines, and asked anyone engaged in the discussion to donate a real protective suit. Soon enough, instead of just talking about the Ebola Halloween costume, news outlets were directing their viewers and readers to donate real Ebola protective suits, on our purpose-built website.

In fact, the campaign generated more than 215 million free media impressions. Additionally, in 72 hours around Halloween, Doctors of the World’s lifetime donors doubled. At the same time, their social following increased by more than 45%. And in just 7 days, we’d responded to a controversial news story and raised enough to equip more than 4600 doctors saving lives in West Africa.

With countless people buying the Ebola Costume for Halloween dress-up parties, and multiple major news outlets discussing the topic, our goal was to intercept the headlines and change the news conversation: from the controversial costume, towards donations for real Ebola protective suits. In short, we aimed to turn 2014’s most controversial Halloween news story, into donations for real Ebola protective suits. To do this, we started by researching which news stations, newspapers and media outlets were reporting on the topic. This would allow us to intercept their stories and hopefully change their angle towards our donation drive.

General Results: In 72 hours, Doctors of the World’s lifetime donors doubled, social following increased by 45% and the campaign earned 215 free media impressions. In seven days, we raised enough to equip 4600 doctors saving lives in West Africa.

Awareness Results: Before this campaign, Doctors of the World was relatively unknown in the USA, with zero exposure in mainstream press. This campaign featured in prestigious media including: The Huffington Post, Inside Edition, Today, CNN, New York Times, USAToday, NBC and more. In fact, it generated 215 million free impressions and Doctors of the World received unprecedented exposure, which increased awareness and doubled their lifetime donor database.

Action Results: In seven days, the campaign raised enough to equip 4600 doctors saving lives in West Africa. From a longer-term business perspective, the campaign doubled DOTW’s lifetime donor base. This increased database will have a massive impact on future fundraising endeavors.

Type of PR: Digital PR, Newspaper PR, Television PR, Consumer PR, Social PR

Date of First Implementation: 27 October 2014

The Ebola Halloween Costume controversy broke approximately one week before Halloween, so we needed to act fast. In fact, from idea generation to campaign launch, we had just a few days. In this time we built a fully functioning donation website, implemented our PR strategy of targeting news outlets that were discussing the issue, and executed a variety of traditional campaign elements. The campaign launched four days before Halloween. Through our PR interception campaign, people were directed to our online store, where instead of buying a fake Ebola costume, they could donate a real Ebola protective suit – or items from the suit. Then, as the PR story evolved over the next few days, so too did the campaign. We quickly reacted to the changing news and social discussion around the Halloween costume, thus becoming part of the story and maximizing donations.

Doctors of the World is an international humanitarian organization that provides medical care to vulnerable populations. In 2014, their doctors were in West Africa, fighting the worst Ebola outbreak in history. They were in dire need of Ebola protective suits for these doctors, and asked us to help raise money.

Meanwhile, it was Halloween in America, and the Ebola protective suit had exploded across the news – but for all the wrong reasons. It was becoming 2014’s most controversial Halloween costume, with major news outlet discussing the topic. And with Halloween just days away, we needed to act fast.

The strategy was to intercept the news headlines and use the controversy around the Halloween Costume to gain donations for real Ebola protective suits. We started by approaching news outlets that were reporting on the topic. We hoped for them to include our donations message into their Ebola Halloween costume stories. The goal was that, while reporting on the Ebola Halloween costume, they would also direct their interested viewers and readers to donate real Ebola protective suits, on our purpose-built website.