Australian Charity wins international DRTV award

The Fred Hollows Foundation has taken out an international award for the best charity direct response television commercial in a landslide popular vote.
The Australian eyesight charity won the Gold Star Award for Non-profit Video Advertising in at the International Fundraising Congress in Netherlands last night, with more than double the amount of votes than the runner up commercial.
The advert, called 'Help Fred's Word Shine On', featured documentary footage of legendary eye doctor Hollows both at work in disadvantaged communities, and with his own children and wife before he died.
Coming in second was the 'What if' campaign by UK charity Action Aid, a child sponsorship ask focusing on one small five year old girl.
Ian Haworth, global creative director of RAPP, sponsors of the award, said that with the increased use of online video, there will be a new golden age of film, but added that charities were not presently using the medium to full effect.
The Fred Hollows Foundation was the only one of the four shortlisted advertisements, which included the RSPCA and Smile Foundation, which was produced in-house. All three other finalists, selected from more than 40 entries, were UK-based.
(from Professional Fundraising, 22 October 2009)