Help The Aged SMS campaign

Help The Aged has launched a mobile campaign encouraging pub-goers to support isolated older people via mobile phone donations, part of the charity's 'One is the Saddest Number' Christmas campaign.

From this week a select number of bars and restaurants across England will feature beer mats that combine a colourful approach with stories about older-age isolation and a mobile call to action, to encourage drinkers to text to a shortcode on each mat and give £3 to the charity.

"The younger audience is traditionally the hardest for charities to reach, so we're keen to utilise new techniques to get our message to these people," said Mike Foster, spokesman for Help The Aged.

Help The Aged's research has found that around 1m older people spend Christmas Day alone. It's targeting young people and families using mobile as part of a wider interactive campaign for the charity.

Mobile marketing specialist Que Pasa and integrated marketing agency Joshua G2 have worked in partnership on the campaign. Que Pasa handled the planning and delivery of the mobile response elements, while the creative and the wider campaign was produced by design agency Joshua G2. The beer mat element of the campaign was coordinated by Admedia.