JWT Brazil Donates YouTube's 'Black Bars' as Free NGO Ad Space

When videos recorded vertically are posted to YouTube, two black bars appear on each side. Knowing the relevance of this channel’s audience - four billion video views a day- and the need NGOs have for spaces to publicise their social actions, J. Walter Thompson Brazil's team created the 'Doe as Barras' ('Donate the Bars') project. The idea was to give these institutions, which usually have limited resources for advertising, a little bit more of autonomy and visibility in their communication.

It's very simple: anyone who wants to upload on YouTube a video recorded vertically or in a format different from the channel's, can do this through the website and donate the black bars as media space for an NGO. This can even be done via cell phone. 

Some of the NGOs that joined the project are Alcoólicos Anônimos, Ampara Animal, Afroreggae, Associação Brasil Parkinson, Gravidez Sem Álcool, and Instituto Ayrton Senna. Institutions wishing to participate should simply access the website. 

"We hope to give these institutions, dedicated to important social causes, an opportunity to share their actions and messages with a broader audience and with no cost, transforming a useless space into a media outlet," explains Ricardo John, CCO at J. Walter Thompson Brazil. For Ricardo John, the identification of a new communication space such as these bars, is part of the Agency's DNA, which is to be always in search of new formats and communication solutions.