Case study

Dolly’s Dream: Are your words doing damage?

Tragically, in January 2018, school girl Dolly Everett took her life, aged 14, after a period of prolonged bullying and cyberbullying. Teens today are the first generation to have grown up with social media, however when teens assemble online, it can have tragic consequences. With one in five students reporting being cyberbullied each year, Dolly’s Dream sought to drive awareness of the issue by creating a nationwide conversation about the impact it can have.

Approach

Recognising a disconnect between cyberbullying education led by adults, and the teens actually experiencing the issue, we took a fresh approach. We worked with 15-year-old filmmaker and Director Charlotte McLaverty to create a film that would speak to her peers and inspire people to speak up.

Inspired by a quote from Dolly herself “speak even if your voice shakes”, the resource was developed by teens, for teens. Dentsu Creative Public Relations amplified the launch of this new content through traditional and social media channels, tapping into ambassadors and influencers to carry it further.

Outcome

Launched on The Project with an appearance from the teen Director, the campaign drove mass engagement across online and broadcast channels within the space of 24 hrs. Media coverage culminated in a reach of 270 million.
Our hero video was viewed more than 450,000 times on the Dolly’s Dream social channels alone, with no paid amplification and viewed 1 million times via SBS.
Engagement with the content was overwhelmingly positive, receiving comments encouraging people to share, and for the content to be made part of the curriculum.