In the face of a pandemic spreading fear and isolation, Cox wanted to demonstrate the power of connectedness to get through difficult times and remind the world what’s most important right now: each other.
Particularly vulnerable during this crisis are older adults. Not only do seniors have an increased health risk for COVID, but those in assisted- living facilities and nursing homes are now more isolated than ever, unable to have visitors or even spend time with each other. For them, the simple act of a phone call has taken on greater significance. And can offer a lifeline that has the power to change a day, and maybe even a life. Cox teamed up with agency of record, 180LA to create an outreach program to this vulnerable segment.
We hoped the resulting work on social media would inspire belief and action in others to reach out to seniors in need. And if we were lucky, lift the human spirit for just a moment at a time when it was needed - #NowMoreThanEver.
The human spirit unites in times of crisis and finds inspiration in acts of kindness, small and large. These are the
times that turn everyday people into heroes. That show our differences to be small. And remind us of the greater
connectedness we all share. In One Call a Day, isolated seniors around the country get surprise calls offering support,
encouragement, and human connection - with the help of some volunteers.
The campaign itself focuses on real people and real stories. No casting or scripts. Everything from the heart. And
finding inspiration all around us.With most volunteer activities having been shut down during social distancing – Cox volunteers
armed with newfound capacity and a passion for helping, signed up from across the country to participate, registering through local volunteer chapters to be matched with a senior in need. For volunteers, it offered a rewarding opportunity to give back and care for the older adults in their communities. For seniors, it was the connection they needed to the outside world; a new
friendship that reminded them they are not alone. And that there are people who care.
We worked with senior facilities to match volunteers with seniors living alone across the country. From New York City to Washington DC to New Orleans, Phoenix and San Diego - we found seniors in some of the hardest hit cities, Who by life and unique circumstances found themselves living alone, with no one to talk to during social distancing. We introduced them to their volunteer match, and the daily phone calls began.
In an unprecedented “remote” production, we captured audio recordings of the phone calls from 10 seniors and their volunteer matches. And sent three separate crews across the footprint to film exterior shots thru the windows of homes – while maintaining social distancing standards and avoiding any risk to crews, seniors or volunteers.
The resulting stories are shared though short excerpts from their calls and moving longform videos shared across
social media. The content was formatted for Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter - all driving to a digital hub at TheConnectionsProject.com that shared the broader narrative and even more "connection" content.
For volunteers not part of the film, Cox readily engaged new senior facilities with 6 partners and interest from
multiple Veterans homes. And over 100+ active volunteers.
The campaign videos have been viewed over 15 million times and driven 250,000+ engagements across Youtube, Facebook, Instagram & Twitter via paid and owned media. Kantar ad testing showed a 30 point lift in Brand Appeal vs. our historic benchmarks.. Sentiment has been overwhelmingly positive across social media which can be challenging to achieve for a cable operator. The work has been featured in Ad Age, Ad Week, DiversityInc & multiple local broadcast and print outlets.
