TIER Mobility
Being seen in a competitive micro-mobility market
Being seen in a competitive micro-mobility market
Speaking up for IBD patients
Not being able to access a toilet when it is much needed: a nightmare for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Charly PR put this problem on the map with an integrated campaign. We even went a step further by putting a legally binding toilet pass on the political agenda.
By showing the general public what it feels like to live with IBD, we created massive attention and put the topic on the political agenda.
CHALLENGE
Making the invisible visible
Imagine this: you really – really! – have to ‘go’, but you are denied access to the nearest toilet. Inconvenient for most of us, but nothing short of a disaster or IBD patients. They do have a toilet pass, which should allow them to use all toilets in public spaces. But in reality they are still often denied access.
Pharmaceutical company Takeda - which supports IBD patient associations - asked us to put this broad social, yet invisible, problem on the radar.
STRATEGY
Touching public and politics
To achieve that, we showed the general public how IBD patients encounter misunderstandings and what it means for them not to get quick access to a toilet. We even convinced our client to raise the bar: why not harness the public opinion to put a legally enforceable toilet pass on the political agenda?
We did this through an integrated campaign. A hidden camera captured how IBD patients were denied access to restrooms in stores and restaurants, even when they explained the seriousness of their condition. The video was published on a web page where visitors could immediately sign the petition for enforceability. An extensive social media and PR campaign maximized traffic.
IMPACT
Kicking of a national debate
The results widely exceeded the client’s expectations. A large number of newspapers and our main TV channels (VRT, VTM and RTBF) covered the news. 13,000 people signed the petition and people, politicians and even famous Belgians (including Philippe Geubels) publicly supported it. Several other patient associations jumped the bandwagon towards a legally enforceable toilet pass. The campaign was also nominated for a European Excellence Award and a SABRE Award.
Charly PR also executed PR socially relevant campaigns for Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, Fairtrade Belgium and the photography industry.
