Signalling success: Swiss MS Society campaign wins innovation award

The Swiss MS Society has received a national accolade for its 2017 World MS Day activities: the ‘Innovation of the Year’ Swiss Fundraising Award.

The Swiss Fundraising Awards recognise outstanding achievement in the non-profit sector. The ‘Innovation of the Year’ award, presented on Swiss Fundraising Day, recognised the Swiss MS Society’s vibrant ‘We send a signal’ event, which involved simultaneous action in multiple locations on World MS Day.

In Zurich, dancers portrayed the challenges facing people with MS through abstract, expressive routines. Meanwhile, people in Basel, Bellinzona, Bern, Chur, Lausanne, Sion and Zug grouped together to form the letters of the word ‘SIGNAL!’, with footage of the displays broadcast live on seven screens across the cities. The activity was based on mobile technology and made innovative use of Facebook for live transmission of the events.

The Swiss MS Society was praised for the creativity of the event; whilst the collective action sent a powerful signal about MS and raised public awareness, the ‘Signal’ theme also communicated a more nuanced message about the disturbance of signal transmissions that occurs in MS.