How does a small charity that funds clean water projects promote its work to consumers, fatigued by never-ending donation requests, in a surprising way? That would be a miracle…

2.5 billion people worldwide lack clean water access. Wine to Water is a non-profit that raises money through wine tastings, donations and online wine sales. Its name, of course, is a twist on Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine.

We were tasked to come up with an original, category breakthrough way of putting the charity’s work on the map, in the run up to World Water Day, 22 March.

We needed to engage young digital-savvy potential donors, tired of the usual charitable asks. So, we ‘invented’ the Miracle Machine: ‘the world’s first accelerated winemaking device for the home’, claiming to produce wine from water in 3 days. Launched as a ‘coming soon to Kickstarter’ crowd-funding project, the campaign was an elaborate hoax, involving a prototype, app and microsite. Our aim? To build anticipation, eventually reveal the truth, then ask people to donate to the ‘real miracle machine’ – a basic ceramic water filter. We needed to explain that simple solutions to the global water crisis exist, and cost little.

Awareness

• 300,000+ people watched the Miracle Machine video

• Over 1 billion media impressions

Consideration

• 7,000 people signed up, expressing interest in crowd-funding the Miracle Machine

• 92% of post-reveal coverage included a mention of Wine to Water link to its website.

Impact

• Visits to the charity website rose 142%.

• Donations increased by 21% in the 12 days leading up to World Water Day, compared with the previous 12 days.

• The charity estimates that as a result of donations made during this time, 6,000 additional people will get access to life-saving clean water

Our review of 2013 global research showed that while the average charity’s donor base is still women aged 45-64, to ensure future funding, charities like Wine to Water must engage an emerging donor base of men and women aged 25-34. Best reached via online, mobile and social channels, there charities can increase brand awareness and recognition, laying the ground for future fundraising. We chose Kickstarter as the core of our creative idea – its users reflecting Wine to Water’s younger, digitally savvy target.