Daniel Nutman Senior Creative
Ideas that
AFP - Hold Onto Hope
Award winning. Heartbreaking.
In its 15th year, Missing Persons Week aimed to raise national awareness about missing persons.
Our challenge was compelling people to care about an issue many haven't experienced personally.
How could we convey the unique pain of families trapped in limbo, unable to process grief or find closure?
Our brief: create an emotionally resonant, social-first video that would connect with those not yet directly impacted by a missing person.
The campaign achieved remarkable results:
- The hero video reached 290,000 people on social media, receiving universally positive sentiment.
- The campaign generated 184 media articles (a 53% increase from 2017) that reached over 10 million people, representing an advertising value exceeding $3 million.
- The video aired 750 times on national television, including unpaid appearances during prime time news due to its emotional impact.
- Traffic to the National Missing Persons Website surged sixfold to 3,570 daily visits.
Most importantly, the campaign led to 12 new missing persons reports being submitted, bringing several families closer to resolving cases.
Hold Onto Hope won Mumbrella’s TV Ad of the Year and was shortlisted at the One Show Awards for Best in Film.