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WPN creates infomercial first for ActionAid

Leading direct marketing specialists Watson Phillips Norman (WPN) and Mike Colling & Co combined to create the first ever UK infomercial for a charity. The work was carried out for ActionAid's Child Sponsorship product and sets out to recruit a new raft of sponsors. The ads will run on satellite stations from 1st July. Media planning and buying was conducted by Mike Colling & Co.

So far, OFCOM regulations have only allowed product based offers to be used on shopping channels. In negotiation with BACC, WPN and MC&C successfully won acceptance of ActionAid's Child Sponsorship Programme as a product in its own right. The agency then set about creating a 15 minute infomercial using original footage shot on location by WPN at ActionAid projects in India and Africa. Maria Phillips and Sandra Money headed up the WPN team and they were fundamentally committed to capturing real people in real situations.

The infomercial features a voice over by actor Paul McGann and music by Clannad, Enya, Nitin Sawhney and The Pretenders. Production was handled by Andrew Guy at Eye to Eye.

Gail Cookson of Watson Phillips Norman comments:
"This is an incredible step forward for ActionAid with a compelling product, emotive footage and a whole new fresh media opportunity which has previously been denied to charities. Our specialist DRTV offering is increasingly called upon by our clients and we are pleased to be able to have tackled something that is a first for the charity sector. This significant infomercial is a poignant and visually succinct summary of the charity's work."

Joanne Smith, Director of Fundraising at ActionAid comments:
"We are of course delighted to be the first charity to have an infomercial in this media and have great hopes in the response it will bring about from prospective sponsors. We have had a great deal of success with DRTV recently and felt that this was a logical next step for the charity. Sandra and Maria have created a very hard hitting film that speaks volumes about our work.”

It has been a pleasure to work on such a groundbreaking project with the best talent the industry has to offer and to see those people working hands on to create what is in effect an outstanding mini documentary and sponsorship vehicle."

The WPN team have already won two gold awards for their ActionAid work and have a tremendous wealth of experience and depth of expertise in this highly specialist area.

Editor's note:

Watson Phillips Norman is the breakaway agency from WWAV Rapp Collins headed by WWAV founder and Chief Executive John Watson, former WWAV Creative Director Maria Phillips and former WWAV Brand Planner Tod Norman. After just three years WPN has won 9 direct marketing awards including two Golds for ActionAId. Its other clients include RNID, Which?, PDSA, NCH, and Picture Financial Group. The agency has just recently created the first ever brand advertising campaign for Which?

WPN has been responsible for creating in excess of 30 DRTV films since it was established. Sandra Money joined WPN earlier this year to set up a specialist DRTV unit at the agency. She had previously worked with George Lucas at Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects arm of Lucasfilm, and produced major TV campaigns for both the USA and clients from all over the world, filming with many well known celebrities including Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Tom Selleck, James Wood, Linda Evans, Lloyd Bridges and the astronaut Alan Shepherd. After working with Lucas Sandra became head of TV at WWAV and then moved to WPN.

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Anton Rush
Zebra pr
0207 228 5500
anton@zebrapost.com