Black Bars Donation
Institutional
Issue 39 | June 2016
Agency
J. Walter Thompson Brazil
Creative Team
Chief Creative Officer Ricardo John Head of Art Fabio Simoes Creative Directors Hernán Rebaldería Gustavo Lacerda Copywriter Pedro Araujo Art Directors Fernando Palandi Pedro Ricci Creative Technologist Drausio Tronolone
Production Team
Chief Strategy Officer Fernand Alphen Head of Planning Isabella Mulholland Account Team Thiago Galdi Yves Rodrigues Marcela Castelli Media Team João Dabbur Siloe Neves
Other Credits
Motion Designer Marco Loschiavo Head of Digital Production Maisa Delgado Digital Producer Helio Valente Production company Epico Digital Sound Shuffle
Date
October 2015
Background
Thousands of hours of video were uploaded to YouTube every day. Of those, one in six were vertical videos – the ones that appeared with black bars down the side.
As more mobile videos were uploaded, so the number of videos with black bars increased.
This space was technically part of the video and therefore its use was in the control of the video maker.
But no-one ever uses the black bars: they're wasted space.
Idea
Charities and NGOs did not have much money. But J. Walter Thompson Brazil saw a way to help charities publicise their efforts to large audiences.
YouTube videos were getting 4bn views a day – some of which would be relevant to not-for-profit organisations.
Vertical videos posted to YouTube have two black bars down the side, which video makers could theoretically offer to not-for-profits.
From this insight came 'Doe as Barras', the 'Donate the Bars' project, a website (www.doesasbarras.com.br) where video uploaders could choose a not-for-profit organisation who could use their black bars for publicity purposes.
Results
J. Walter Thompson Brazil was unable to supply results.
Our Thoughts
The world is full of unused space – although some would say a lot less than there used to be – and you might think that handing it over to yet more advertising would be a bad thing.
Well, yes...and no. YouTube is already an advertising environment, so some additional non-intrusive advertising – especially as it doesn't obstruct or interrupt like a pre-roll – isn't going to harm anyone.
I just like the way some of the staff at J. Walter Thompson Brazil, no doubt yakking away in idle moments, noticed the black bars, realised they could be used, and then actually did something about it.
One of the appealing things about this idea is that it gives the ordinary YouTuber the power to do something good. You don't have to be cash or time-rich to help a not-for-profit; you just have to shoot videos.
Let's not get too bothered by the fact that J. Walter Thompson Brazil couldn't supply any results. It's supplied us with a great idea that could be adopted anywhere in the world, even by YouTube, to give not-for-profits a leg-up.