If you watched the Superbowl on Sunday, chances are you probably caught most of the commercials as well. I'm sure you have some thoughts about which you liked and didn’t like and whether you liked it or not, you probably won’t be forgetting the image of Conan on his hands and knees in a red mesh tank top anytime soon.
My question for you is, in the midst of the exciting game and the Sunday beer-drinking, did you catch the commercial that asked you to donate via your mobile phone?
The national spot I'm referring to was a 10 second call to action by United Way that featured the voice of Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys and asked viewers to text FIT to UNITED (864833) to give $5 to help youth fitness programs.
I saw the United Way commercial on Sunday – but I was LOOKING for it. I’m a huge believer in the potential of mobile giving. I’m in awe of the work organizations like the Mobile Giving Foundation and mgive have done and am hopeful from the numbers the first year of mobile giving has shown: over $500k in the first year – compared to the first year of online giving in 1997 which brought in $300k.
My question is, did other people pay attention to, or even see this quick 10-second spot? And if so, what was their reaction?
What about you? Did you watch the Superbowl on Sunday and did you notice this commercial? What did you think? Did you or anyone you know donate? I’d love to hear what was going through your head on Sunday. Beyond this spot, is donating via your mobile phone something you think you would feel comfortable doing in the future? What’s your mood when it comes to mobile?
Oh, and by the way, if you were actually AT the superbowl or watching the NFL network, you could have seen another 30 second spot by the American Urological Society, asking viewers to text LIFE to 90999 to donate $5 to help fund prostate cancer screening and the search for a cure. Check out the announcement from mgive here.
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Jean Case at the 2013 Yale Philanthropy Conference
