R U OK? Foundation gets the nation travelling far to ask ‘are you ok?’ in a new campaign via Fusion
Digital agency Fusion, part of STW Group, has combined the latest 3D printing technology with GPS location tracking to create quirky Question Marks measuring the distance Australians will travel to ask ‘are you ok?’ to prevent suicide.
The five bright yellow question marks – also dubbed ‘QMarks’ – form part of the R U OK? Foundation’s community engagement and digital strategy for 2013. The QMarks were launched on in West Wyalong NSW, Adelaide SA, Brisbane QLD, Melbourne VIC and Perth WA and are being tracked on an interactive map.
The R U OK? Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging people to ask ‘are you ok?’ to prevent suicide. Fusion was engaged by R U OK? to build the QMark devices and a dynamic webpage to help the Foundation engage communities across Australia, and facilitate online participation.
Says John Chaplin, Fusion director: “Fusion undertook this project because we wanted to support a cause dedicated to making a difference and preventing an average of 2,300 deaths a year. It’s a fantastic opportunity to do something different, while also showcasing our innovative approach to design using new technologies.”
The QMarks were designed to inspire people to travel far and wide, to share the QMark and the message that having a conversation is something we can all do to make a difference to people who are struggling. As each new recipient receives a QMark, they can upload their photos and conversation tips to the interactive map and share the interaction through social media channels.
Says Chaplin: “The brief to build these QMarks was creatively and logistically challenging. Fusion needed to build the well-known R U OK? brand asset in a way that made it easy to share and to recognize, and also ensure they were durable enough to travel the country.
“They also needed to log their locations regularly, be battery-free and look appealing, so that people would want to have their photograph taken with it. We then needed to design a digital platform that allowed all of this to come to life online.”
(Pictured: 1. Greenslopes Private Hospital workers; 2. Brenton Sanderson)