There’s a misconception by many people that being a Big Brother requires a large time commitment and this is often cited as the reason men choose not to volunteer. This new series of advertisement by Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver – all of them less than ten seconds long – is designed to tackle these misconceptions. Following the launch of the ads, visits to the volunteer page on the organization’s website increased 64 per cent, and volunteer applications rose as well. Intrigued by the advertisements, I too visited the volunteer website. In relations to the sweet and short ads, the volunteer positions also specify time commitment and activities, thus the applicants would know what to expect.

The campaign is tailor-made for social media, where attention spans are limited and ads have to make an impact quick in order to get people to look at them. These concise ads show that being a big brother could be as simple as teaching a young boy to use appropriate language, answering his question of whether “rodeo clown” is a viable career choice, or encouraging him to choose books over technology.

In addition to these advertisements, Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver launched a social media campaign using the new hash tag #bigbroments. The ideas encourages Big Brothers volunteers, participants and sponsors to share heartwarming Big/Little Brothers moments.

Big Brothers’ marketing strategy allows the audience to connect with the charity on a more personal level by capturing heartwarming moments of mentorship. The short ads communicate the charity’s vision of providing guidance in every child’s life. Unlike traditional advertisements, this series raises awareness through its memorably concise style. It successfully encourages people to add value to their lives by taking a small part of their busy day to help others.

Link to Big Brothers: http://www.bigbrothersvancouver.com