rescEU: Showcasing the EU’s vital work in disaster preparedness and response

The European Commission wanted to launch a communications campaign to achieve two main objectives:

1. Reach and awareness: Reach at least 20 million EU citizens aged 35-54 years in Cyprus, Spain, Poland, Romania, and Sweden and 17.8 million EU citizens aged 35-64 in Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Greece, France, Hungary, and the Netherlands. Increase awareness of how rescEU enhances preparedness and has contributed to effectively responding to various types of disasters. 
2. Information and education: Increase knowledge and perception of rescEU and EU civil protection activities through website and influencer engagement.

Solution

The campaign focused on EU citizens with a neutral or ambivalent attitude towards the EU. We created a creative concept that showcased situations when rescEU resources based in one country have provided aid to another country, using a split-screen effect to show concrete action. We also planned a media mix that combined digital media with online video ads on Meta, YouTube, and general news sites, plus owned social media posts and influencer engagement.

Our campaign used the slogan "United in Action" for intra-EU assistance and "Solidarity in Action" for assistance outside the EU for phase 1 and “We prepare together, we act together” for phase 2. We tapped into the audience's beliefs and perceptions towards the EU Civil Protection—and educated the audience about rescEU—by showcasing the promptness and solidarity of the EU in disaster response through examples.

Results

The campaign delivered strong results—it resonated well with the audience and effectively raised awareness about rescEU. The split-screen video stood out as both informative and engaging, capturing the interest of viewers. Across both phases, the campaign successfully highlighted the EU’s readiness and unity in responding to disasters.