NSPCC wins NMA gong

The NSPCC picked up a gong at this year's New Media Age Awards, beating off a strong field of contenders to win the 'Best Use of Social Media' category for the Idea Agency campaign for ChildLine.

In a hotly contested category, the NSPCC entry won high praise from the judges, who said, “…it was a fantastic piece of work that stood head and shoulders above the field. Even in two or three years time we can't imagine another organisation being this brave in the social space and literally handing its brand over to its audience - amazing.”

'Idea' - which invited children and young people aged between 8 and eighteen to join a virtual creative agency - was set up in December 2008 and ran for six months. It was designed to help raise awareness of ChildLine, while engaging children with the brand in a meaningful, interactive and fun way.

The project enabled them to work on a series of communication briefs, with the winning entries becoming the backbone of the ChildLine marketing strategy.

Senior digital account manager at the NSPCC, Emily Knee, said, “Creating a virtual agency that only existed in online social spaces meant we could reach out to a large number of young people and get them directly involved in shaping ChildLine communications - something that would be very difficult to achieve 'in the real world'. It was an immersive and vibrant experience for the young people, and one that continues to bear fruit as we use their thoughts, words, designs and ideas to influence and inspire our advertising materials and content on the ChildLine website.”

Ian MacArthur, creative director and head of brand marketing at the NSPCC, said, “Social Media gives brands a unique opportunity to change the way they interact with their audience. Projects like the Idea campaign take this concept to an entirely different level. It's about using the standard social platforms not just to engage, but to flip the emphasis to your audience, into the spaces they choose, so that they drive the conversation, content and information while you support their needs.”