How Havas PR rallied global teams to support ‘Save Ukraine’ telethon

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked a global response from governments and business leaders. Corporations have divested of their holdings in Russia or sought to dramatically shift their operations and business connections to the country.

For comms and PR outfits, there have been questions around sending the right message to stakeholders and preparing for the ensuing crises around cyber threats, supply chain issues and energy costs. But there’s also been a strong desire to help the people of Ukraine.

For Red Havas, the invasion has hit particularly close to home as some of its agency staff are based in Ukraine. The agency jumped at the chance to support a global telethon to support Ukraine.

The telethon, broadcast around the world simultaneously to reach 80 million people, sought to “to consolidate the international community even more in its resistance against the Russian expansion,” per a press release. The money from the event went to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, raising more than 1.2 million euros with a broadcast that featured international stars such as Sting, Fatboy Slim, Idina Menzel and others.

The team at Havas PR moved quickly to help pitch the telecast to news outlets, giving local teams the power to tailor their pitch and move fast to meet a tight deadline, with the event broadcast on March 27.