The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism undertook a campaign to raise a groundswell of opposition to antisemitism in the U.S.
Objective
For people to defend Jews, they first need to realize Jews need defending.
The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS) campaign's objective was to spread awareness of antisemitism beyond the Jewish community and gain support from non-Jewish allies.
Context
According to data compiled by the FBI, the number of antisemitic incidents nearly tripled between 2013 and 2021. Yet most people outside the Jewish community were not aware of the scale of Jewish hate.
The FCAS investigated the issue through a quantitative study of people all over the U.S. Over 52 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 and older don't believe "antisemitism is a big problem," and 45 percent believe that Jewish people are "more than capable of handling issues of antisemitism on their own."
The FCAS needed to enlist top media partners, who share the FCAS' values, to provide national reach with powerful and disruptive ideas.
Target Audience
Between existing allies and opponents, The FCAS identified a sizeable group, about 52 percent strong, whom it named "the Apathetics." Those were the people The FCAS focused on. They are the silent majority who don't see themselves as antisemitic. However, a recent study from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that 85 percent of Americans believe at least one anti-Jewish trope.
Creative and Media Strategy
The FCAS' blue square first appeared on screen, unannounced, during a live broadcast of The Voice. As people began to notice the blue square and wonder what it represented, The FCAS followed its appearance on screen with its ad, explaining Jews are 2.4 percent of the population, yet are victims of 55 percent of religious hate. The blue square thus served as a unifying symbol of solidarity and support for the Jewish community.
The blue square appeared on other TV shows, networks, OOH, and social media, quickly moving from just a visualization of the problem to a symbol of advocacy on every smartphone.
The FCAS needed its media partners to be allies too, and the organization set three strict criteria for its media allies.
The execution had to create impact and be simple. The FCAS needed to evoke how easily antisemitism goes unnoticed.
The FCAS blue square also showed up unannounced on the Today Show, taking up 2.4 percent of screens. Many viewers didn't even notice it — proving The FCAS' point -- until show talent called attention to the blue square, explaining how disproportionate 2.4 percent is to the rising 55 percent of Jewish hate crimes.
While talent like The Voice's Carson Daly delivered FCAS messaging, the blue square appeared over programming. The FCAS replicated this integration across NBCUniversal properties Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, and the Daytime Emmy-winning show The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Since 70 percent of Jews experience hate online, The FCAS also prompted users to add the blue square (always representing 2.4 percent of any screen) onto their social profiles and posts. One hundred and fourteen non-paid social influencers fueled the conversation with support and shared experiences with hate and intolerance.
As a result of the campaign, The FCAS:
In addition, the campaign prompted behavioral change, as The FCAS measured:
