Silver Anvil Awards: WWFs Earth Hour 2009—The First Global Vote for the Planet

The PRSA 2010 Silver Anvil Awards podcast series features finalists from this year's program. The Silver Anvil Award recognizes complete public relations programs incorporating measurable and sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. These four areas represent the solid criteria by which senior practitioners judge each entry to ensure it meets the highest standards of performance in the profession.

 

Listen in as Deb Radman, APR, PRSA Fellow, speaks with Dan Forman, public relations manager at the World Wildlife Fund, about the "WWF's Earth Hour 2009—The First Global Vote for the Planet" campaign.

 

In 2009, WWF collaborated with Creaxion to develop and implement an innovative, non-traditional strategic communications campaign to maximize the effectiveness of its novel event, “Earth Hour.” On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., nearly a billion people came together in a dramatic call for action on climate change by turning their lights off for one hour in support of Earth Hour. The campaign generated participation from 80 million people in the United States, generating a 40% increase in broadcast coverage and 91% increase in online and print coverage over the 2008 event. Total viewership/circulation reached 280 million, and more than 100,000 letters were sent to members of Congress urging action on climate change as a result of the event.