China-Based ★ "Slide" Donations: Toys and Love for Orphans via Smartphone Using NFC Technology

In China, children have been cherished and raised with great care as a result of the 36-year-long one-child policy. They receive all the love and expectations from their parents and four grandparents, treated almost like "little emperors," especially in urban areas.

Conversely, the rising number of orphans remains largely unknown. By 2014, their count reached 540,000, starkly highlighting the gap with children growing up in warm, well-provided-for homes.

Hape, a major German toy manufacturer operating in over 50 countries worldwide, launched a campaign this summer called "Slide Nation" (a coined term meaning "slide to donate") focusing on Chinese orphans, which has been generating buzz.

Hape's toys, made with natural materials, are relatively high-priced but popular in China. Children visit stores with parents eager to actively buy them quality items.

Slide Nation created a special catalog, thinking that reminding parents of orphans at the very moment they buy toys for their children could effectively encourage donations.

Each spread in this catalog features a toy photo on the right page and an orphan who might receive that toy on the left page, with the area around their hand left blank to match the toy's silhouette. The pages contain NFC (Near Field Communication) chips. Holding a smartphone over the right page displays the toy's photo on the screen. Then, "sliding" the smartphone screen left aligns the toy perfectly over the blank space in the orphan's hand. Clicking on the subsequent purchase screen would then deliver the toy to the orphan. An interactive communication system was also set up, where a thank-you video message from the orphan who received the toy would be sent. Additionally, messages from other orphans could be read on Hape's website. (Click the image below to view the video on a separate site)

This innovative donation mechanism sparked interest, with nearly 80% of store visitors participating in Slide Nation. It also boosted sales: the 20 toys featured in the catalog saw a 52% increase in sales, while overall sales rose 28%. This initiative, which brought smiles to many orphans, was widely covered by media across China, becoming a major movement.

Kazuki Tsubura, Executive Creative Director at Beijing Dentsu CDC, who led the campaign, stated: "Our challenge was how to reconcile seemingly conflicting goals—sales and CSR—and how to connect privileged children with underprivileged children. Above all, I am filled with gratitude toward our client for undertaking such an initiative."

The campaign won Gold, the top prize, at the China International Advertising Festival and the Effie Awards China in October, and also earned a medal at the One Show in November.