On 15 November 2014, we secretly turned the annual neo-Nazi march in Wunsiedel into something positive: Germany’s most involuntary charity walk. For every metre the neo-Nazis covered, €10 went to EXIT-Deutschland, an NGO that helps neo-Nazis leave the far-right scene.

Motivated by banners and bananas, the neo-Nazis went the full distance and raised €10,000 to help their own members leave the scene (the money was collected from citizens and regional companies beforehand). But that was just the start. Because, as the neo-Nazis set off, so did a meticulously planned PR campaign. Via Twitter and Facebook, we activated carefully chosen and previously informed social media influencers.

Even during the march, 21,000 people visited the microsite and helped us spread the word. Just three hours after the neo-Nazis crossed the finishing line, another element of the campaign went online: a documentary for the general public.

Almost immediately, the charity walk became a PR sensation and the media worldwide reported about the “Miracle of Wunsiedel”. And now all of Germany knows that there is an organisation using creative ideas to tackle the problem of right-wing extremism: EXIT-Deutschland.

We needed to create an idea around the work of EXIT-Deutschland that would reach as many Germans as possible and inspire them to donate money for the cause. All that with a total budget of €5,000. Consequently, we defined three key communication objectives:

1) Raise national awareness for the important and effective work of EXIT-Deutschland

2) Collect donations for EXIT-Deutschland

3) Communicate EXIT-Deutschland’s offer to potential quitters of the right-wing scene

With a budget of just €5,000 (invested mainly on banners and bananas) and €0 media spend, we exceeded our first objective of magnifying the impact of our campaign – to deliver extensive campaign awareness through media impact.

Whilst no targets were set, the campaign has out-performed all previous activities from EXIT-Deutschland: we reached 24 million people in Germany through earned media via TV and print, worth €1 million of national TV and print coverage.

We gained 279 million campaign impressions online, and as the event unfolded, the news was picked up by traditional media worldwide. They all reported on EXIT-Deutschland and the “Miracle of Wunsiedel” using the campaign’s images, text and video footage.

In the end, all sides got what they deserved: Wunsiedel positive PR, EXIT-Deutschland €20,000 (thanks to additional donations) and global publicity, and society a new form of protest against neo-Nazis.

We turned a neo-Nazi demonstration on its head: from a right-ring extremist march into a charity walk. Consequently, we applied this approach to our idea: for every metre the neo-Nazis marched, €10 would be donated to EXIT-Deutschland.

This would force the neo-Nazis to face a dilemma: either walk and collect for their own downfall or abandon the demonstration. To ensure we got the right setting and story, we chose a neo-Nazi march in the small, helpless Bavarian town of Wunsiedel.

The town, sick of the annual march, was willing to cooperate and helped us raise the €10,000 from companies and citizens of Wunsiedel. The small circle of well-informed people collectively founded the initiative “Nazis against Nazis” and meticulously planned and executed the turnaround of the event and the media campaign.

€5,000

Right-wing extremism is still a predominant problem in Germany and once people become involved in the scene, it’s hard to get back out again. But there are groups and organisations doing socially important work to combat this problem.

Like the initiative EXIT-Deutschland, which for the past 15 years has been successfully helping neo-Nazis who want to quit the far-right scene. However, EXIT-Deutschland still receives far too little attention and far too few donations for their important work. Most people would rather donate their money to well-known charity organisations. For this reason, the organisation must fight for its own existence every year.

In line with our key objectives, we had to address three target groups: First, the public, in particular the media and potential donors. Second, the neo-Nazis themselves and potential quitters. Third, social media influencers who would help to create a viral effect.

To prove the effectiveness of EXIT-Deutschland’s work and ensure a big media buzz, we chose to demonstrate the initiative’s power on one of the neo-Nazis most important tools: demonstrations. Our approach: we developed and implemented a new strategy that helps towns in their struggle against neo-Nazi demonstrations and right-wing extremists.