Some of what we’ve done recently

Make Poverty Historywww.makepovertyhistory.org/ The Make Poverty History campaign mobilised people around one set of issues and culminated in a quarter of a million people turning out for the July 2 nd rally in Edinburgh. As Media Co-Lead in Scotland, we achieved bucketloads of coverage for the campaign. Over and beyond the straight issues stories about global poverty, of which we did many, we also launched Make Poverty History pants – the only underwear to be seen in - which ran everywhere from the Daily Star to the Financial Times. We also dreamed up and facilitated the Guinness World Record attempt for the ‘G8some Reel ’- the most people simultaneously doing an Eightsome Reel ever, as compered by the incomparable Eddie Izzard… We also facilitated all the UK television and radio broadcast media on the Meadows for the rally. One of our key roles was to diffuse the initial perception in the Scottish media that there would be trouble at the rally from extremist incomers, and to keep the media focused on the real issues of global poverty and the peaceful nature of the rally and the 500 organisations attending, including ……. Our combination of issues and lighter stories achieved this goal, and the day was a tremendous, momentous - and trouble-free - success.

The Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) . www.dec.org.uk/The Disasters and Emergency Committee (DEC) co-ordinates the fund-raising response of major UK charities such as Oxfam, Christian Aid, Save the Children, Red Cross, etc. to global disasters and emergencies. The Tsunami fundraising campaign, on which we were the Scotland Media Lead, raised more money than any other Scottish fundraising campaign in history. We organised a variety of media events to keep the momentum going, and arranged the rounds of Scottish spokespeople - including workers from the field - as well as keeping the extraordinary Scottish total at the top of the news. During the Afghan Earthquake Appeal, we invented the idea of ‘Curries for Kashmir’, which saw over 100 Asian restaurants across Scotland become fundraising centres for the appeal. We work well with other people because our priority is always the outcome of the campaign.

Save the Children Scotlandwww.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/index.jsp
Save the Children Scotland has been a client of ours for nearly nine years and in that time we’ve consistently delivered a high quality media service – including 24/7 out-of-hours cover – with excellent results. We have been responsible for the entire media function in Scotland, from strategy and planning to the ‘nuts and bolts’ of disseminating and following up media releases. We have provided all media releases and materials for campaigning issues and events, launched a plethora of research and reports, and been responsible for everything from celebrity briefings to publicising the work of children and young people… and much more. As well as maximising general coverage for the organisation’s work, by taking new and sensitive approaches, we’ve also generated pages of positive coverage on Scottish minority issues often dealt with negatively or in abstraction, like Gypsy Travellers and asylum seekers. Additionally, we’ve dealt with international issues facing children, such as child soldiers, HIV, and girls’ education. These international stories were tailored by us specifically for delivery to the Scottish media to maximise coverage, giving a clear example of how having direct media representation in Scotland can greatly enhance media coverage for a UK-wide organisation which might only have a London media office.

The MoonWalkwww.walkthewalk.org/ The Moonwalk’s first trip to Scotland is a classic example of how we can deliver for a London-based organisation. In November 2005, (when we began working for the organisation), only a few people in the Scottish media had ever heard of this fundraising walk, held in London for several years to raise money and awareness for breast cancer – we have successfully changed that in the last few months. Our campaign included five media events ahead of the actual walk. We took care to make sure that the underlying messages about breast cancer were kept to the fore, without losing sight of the fun involved in the prospect of brightly-coloured bra-clad walkers doing a midnight marathon through Edinburgh! With the help of Lorraine Kelly as an enthusiastic supporter and participant, the MoonWalk received extensive coverage, before and after the event, across all types of media – tabloids, broadsheets, radio, TV and web – and raised a very substantial sum.

Industrial Wind Turbine Development in Scotland When seven greedy business people decided to seek planning permission to build 500 gigantic 100 metre-high industrial wind turbines across the very best unspoiled wilderness landscapes in Ardnamurchan, Mull and Morvern on the West Coast of Scotland, (for power to be exported to England), we were approached by local people to mount a campaign in the media to save these superb areas from irreparable ecological damage. Our campaign took account of the complex issues surrounding wind power, often erroneously seen as a ‘black and white’ issue - energy policy, ecology and wildlife, global warming, tourism, traditional ways of life, planning law, renewable subsidies and the rights and ‘green credentials’ of the various parties involved. Developing sophisticated media releases, specialist information and research, and other careful tools, we delivered a media campaign which took account of these complexities and subtleties and which called on the Scottish Executive to work out a much-needed coherent national strategy. The very extensive media coverage we generated contributed to the denial of planning permission for this large-scale industrial development, and some still hail us as saviours of Mull, Morvern and Ardnamurchan’s superb unspoiled landscapes!

Other Regular Clients include Edinburgh University’s Centre for Theology and Public Issues for which we provide media support around specific events.

We have also worked on the campaign for a Children’s Commissioner, for Children Are Unbeatable, and numerous other umbrella campaigns and organisations involved in children’s rights and needs, child poverty, education and health - both Scotland and UK-wide and internationally. Additionally Gillian was media manager for the Health Education Board for Scotland (HEBS)

We also have a small number of ongoing projects that we are not at liberty to publicise.

Talk to us about these and other clients and campaigns - contact Richard Saville-Smith on 0131 346 8007, 07909 527 629 or email Richard@saville-ferguson.co.uk