Ctrl.Alt.Shift/Film
by Chloe Rollinson
June 2008 saw the launch of the youth initiative Ctrl.Alt.Shift by charity Christian Aid, a sub-brand developed to help the charity with an ageing support base engage with ‘young agitators’ across the UK. Amplify were engaged by Christian Aid in order to develop, create and manage a campaign to engage 18-25 year olds with the brand and the issues.
A New Approach
Christian Aid previously had focussed their ‘yoof’ efforts on tombola-esque stands at major festivals, that were expensive and neither generated engagement nor understanding of issues or results. The right audience. The wrong approach.
Amplify’s alternative campaign fused digital, experience, consumer-generated content, positive endorsement and PR/superinfluencers. We used film, a form of media consumed avidly by the target age range, to reach out and proactively contribute to 18-25s. The Ctrl.Alt.Shift Film competition invited entrants to tackle the three key campaign issues, HIV + Stigma, War + Peace or Gender + Power, in their own visionary way.
Seeding with Superinfluencers
Launching October ‘08 through film schools, industry websites and a nationwide PR campaign, the Ctrl.Alt.Shift Film Competition paired 5 winning amateur filmmakers with inspiring names from contemporary British cinema, to mentor them through the production of their short. Coupled with this, winning entrants had their film soundtrack supplied by a major recording artist and their work premiered at a London-based industry screening.
Positive Endorsement
Directors and artists involved in the project include Noel Clarke (Adulthood), Saam Farahmand (Part of the Weekend Never Dies), Kinga Burza (Katy Perry, Kate Nash), Paul Andrew Williams (London to Brighton), Shynola (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy), Kinga Burza, Young Knives, Chipmunk, Metronomy and Shy Child.
Consumer-Generated Content
After receiving 91 quality entries (each with a 1,000 word treatment of how they would handle the issues) the Ctrl.Alt.Shift Short Film Competitions four winners were announced via the official website and social networking channels Facebook and Twitter. A fifth winner was then selected through the ‘People’s Choice’ award.
Our CTRL.ALT.SHIFT director mentors offered their filmic expertise and were on hand to offer professional guidance throughout. In addition, Andy Noble of Warp Films has acted as an overarching producer for each short.
The films have exceeded expectations all round (even ours!) in terms of quality and how clearly they conveyed difficult and sensitive content and issues. For example check out HIV: The Musical (starring the Mighty Boosh’s Julian Barret and The Office’s Martin Freeman) or War School featuring Kate Ashworth.
The Experience
The five films premiered at London’s Shoreditch Studio’s on Thursday 14th May. A mix of those involved, including journalists, bloggers, key stakeholders and competition winners, came to the screening of the films, plus there were live performances from acts that had supplied tracks such as Shy Child and Chipmunk. Celebrity attendees included Kano and DJ Ironik.
The Full Loop
The five pieces of content are now being carefully amplified through strategic partnerships, seeded digitally and at film festivals across the world. Best of all the festival ‘loop’ has been closed - as we now have content that can be shown between acts that is both entertaining to our target audience yet raises awareness of Ctrl.Alt.Shift and the three key issues.
Each day consumers generate more and more of the content and direction of Ctrl.Alt.Shift, in turn not only becoming their charity of choice, but of construction.
To check out the winning films visit http://www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk/film
