Which of these disease sufferers deserves your donation more?

Instead of donating to charities that work on one particular disease, why not donate to a research institute that's working on science that could cure all of them?

That's the provocative question at the center of 'Disease dilemmas', a new campaign for Australia's Garvan Institute of Medical Research by BWM Dentsu. 

Ad Nut is impressed with the intentional provocation. The institute works on genomics, which could pay off in treatments or cures for many diseases, so it's a valid point. And it's good that the client was willing to go ahead with something that could easily be offensive to other charities and charity-supported causes. The reality is that donations are something of a zero-sum game, so it's not wrong for an organisation like this to make the case that money given to fundamental research could have a bigger bang for the buck. 

Equally bold is the creative choice you can see in a series of videos where individuals talk about the impact of the specific diseases they suffer from. Each person tells their story in a voiceover while they stare ceaselessly into the camera for two minutes with a very serious expression on their face. It's a surprisingly unnerving and effective technique. It essentially dares you to look away. Ad Nut couldn't.

The campaign started Monday with print, and the media plan includes TV, radio, digital, OOH, cinema and takeovers in train stations and a sports stadium.

CREDITS

Client: Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Director, Garvan Research Foundation: Mara-Jean Tilley
Deputy Director, Garvan Research Foundation: Brad Timms
Marketing Manager: Anna Sweeney

Creative Agency: BWM dentsu
Executive Creative Director: Marcus Tesoriero
Creative Directors: Oskar Westerdal & Jon Foye
Creative Consultant: Rob Belgiovane
Creative: Oskar Westerdal, Jon Foye & Asheen Naidu
Executive Producer Broadcast/Integrated: Margot Fitzpatrick
Senior Integrated Producer: Emma Durlacher

National Production Lead: Lauren Reilly
Design Director: Eeuwout ‘Dutchy’ Baart
Senior Finished Artist & Designer: Alanna Rados
Editor: Brendon Killen
Digital Art Director: Thomas Deng
Managing Director: Brent Kerby
Head of Client Services: Sophie Lander
Group Account Director: Andrew Henderson
Senior Account Manager: Jessica Walley & Ashley Martin
Strategic Planner: Karl Bates

Production: The Pool Collective
Director & Photographer: Simon Harsent
Executive Producer: Cameron Gray

Post Production: Fin
Post Producer: Emily Newbould
Colourist: Ben Eagleton

Retouching
Sterne Creative: Mark Sterne

Website Production: Isobar
Chief Engagement Director: Elaine Loke
Project Manager: Ritika Jhaver
Web Developer: Rhys Martindale

Audio Production: Rumble Studios
Executive Producer: Michael Gie
Senior Sound Designer: Tone Aston, Cam Milne & Liam Annert

Music: Bopper
Licensing Supervisor: Koo Abuali

Media: dentsu Amplifi & Carat
Chief Investment Officer, Amplifi: Michael Bass
Chief Investment Officer, Carat – Craig Cooper
Managing Director – Lauren Small
Client Partner: Sue Cant
Head of Out of Home: Emma Hegg
National Production Manager: Rebecca Eastman
Project Manager, Platforms & OOH Production: Hayley Kingsley
Investment Manager: Al Vari
Client Manager: Kristina Endrikhovskaia

PR: Haystac
Group Business Director: Carolina Fullen
Account Manager: Mariel Malabanan

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