World Humanitarian Day is a worldwide United Nations event celebrated on August 19th.

It’s a day to celebrate the humanitarian spirit and aid workers around the world.

In 2013 the United Nations asked us to create an engagement platform that would help generate funding for humanitarian aid so that they have the resources they need for both ongoing and new humanitarian aid efforts.

The current situation around branded entertainment is varied from region to region so the goal was to create the simplest possible form of branded content and entertainment that everybody can interact, support, share and spread around the globe. We launched the platform on World Humanitarian Day.

We launched ‘The World Needs More’, a marketplace for words, where brands and individuals are invited to sponsor a word they think the world needs more of.

When a disaster strikes, aid workers need resources like food, shelter and medicine to help the victims. But while people want to help, often the only resource they have to give are their words of support, strength, hope and peace, which can be seen across all social media channels.

In 2013 the United Nations asked us to create a campaign for World Humanitarian Day that would help generate funding for humanitarian aid so that they have the resources they need for both ongoing and new humanitarian aid efforts.

Our solution was to turn people’s words of support on social media into action. We created a first of its kind marketplace for words called ‘The World Needs More’.

Brands and individuals are invited to sponsor a word they think the world needs more of. Every time that word is shared using #theworldneedsmore, your post automatically gets branded by the sponsor and a percentage of the sponsored amount is unlocked.

On World Humanitarian Day we launched the marketplace for words by asking a simple question. What do you think the world needs more of?

Beyonce, Kid President, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, David Guetta and Mikky Ekko created content to help us spread the message.

Major brands and individuals sponsored words including Intel, Barclays and Gucci.

‘The World Needs More’ platform has created global awareness for humanitarian aid and action at the same time by activating peoples’ words shared in social media and turning them into action – a world first marketplace for good.

We engaged people on social media platforms including Twitter and Facebook to share sponsored words as a unique way to unlock funds. The more words people share, the more funds were unlocked.

Celebrities and influencers including Beyoncé, Kid President, David Guetta and Mikky Ekko created video and music content; inviting people to share the words, as a unique way to unlock funds.

We also held over 100 events around the world to help spread the message and inspire involvement.

We also created an interactive twitter wall with tweets of support projected on the exterior of the UN building in NYC.

The marketplace for words has been recognized as a new model of philanthropy for the United Nations to monetize public support. A model so successful that it’s become a permanent platform for future humanitarian aid efforts.

- Major brands and individuals sponsored words including Intel, Beyonce, Barclays, David Guetta, Gucci and Western Union.

- 2.5 million words shared to date.

-Over $700,000 raised in first 3 months which goes directly to UN humanitarian aid.

- 1.3 billion social media impressions earned.

- Over 1 billion media impressions generated through traditional and online media.

- Hashtags #TheWorldNeedsMore #WHD2013 trended worldwide.

- Over 100 events held around the world for World Humanitarian Day.

- First of its kind use of the UN building as a media space through an interactive projection of live tweets.

- Earned major international news and entertainment PR including New York Times, USA Today, Daily Mirror, CNN, Huffington Post, MTV, Bloomberg Business and Forbes.