Ask Richard

Despite being one of the most influential music, arts and culture brands in the country, Australia’s FBi radio was on the brink of financial ruin and facing imminent closure. Staffed mostly by volunteers, the radio station relied on donations sent in by listeners. To stay on the air the station needed a zero-budget idea that would raise money, so it approached Naked for assistance.

Appreciating that the audience of FBi Radio were creative, forward thinking individuals who relied on digital channels for communication and entertainment, Naked developed an idea to raise the money and save the station.

The central idea was ‘Ask Richard’.  In a bold call to action, the station asked listeners of FBi Radio to ask Sir Richard Branson, the well-known music loving billionaire, for a cool $1,000,000. Whoever asked him in the most creative way (as judged by Richard) got a $50k prize.

Naked’s strategy was about generating sufficient noise to re-engage the more passive listeners and enlist their help and donations to save the station. FBi focused on rallying the collective creativity of listeners that in-turn would generate enough media buzz to inspire donations from the more well-off but less involved passive listeners.

Naked created a digital toolkit that people could download from the blog to show their support for the campaign.

The campaign began with a flash mob outside popular TV studio’s Sunrise. The event was announced via Facebook and on the blog. Participants were asked to download a Branson facemask and bring it to the event.

Some of Australia’s top artists wrote songs and made films clips, mock advertisements were made – featuring “Bran power” – and a group of gaming developers made a PC game that people could download and play. One lady even swam 2 miles to Richard’s private island to deliver a funding request. Another person baked 5000 Richard Branson cupcakes. The campaign was seeded with influential bloggers and high profile Twitter users.

Eventually Branson’s office contacted FBi and organised for the man himself to call the radio station, where he donated a massive prize fund. Social media and news sites covered the news, and Richard Branson followed up with a post on his own blog and twitter page.

In total the campaign raised over AUS$600,000 and saved the station. Previous funding drives had at best raised AUS$80,000.

This campaign made clever use of interactive elements to enhance the standard “please send money” message. The digitally focused strategy allowed more passionate listeners of the station to become actively involved in saving a brand with which they identified strongly. Naked were able to use this passion to increase media interest in the station, and awareness of its funding predicament.