Swedish broadcaster finds a hero

In Sweden, although 90 of the population pay the license fee, the Swedish public broadcaster Radiotjänst wanted to communicate the importance of the public broadcast model to the younger generation of Swedes. Mindful that this generation grew up with internet access and were used to operating in digital environments tailored to suit their own preferences, Radiotjänst created the Hero campaign, and turned the viewer, and by extension the license payer, into the hero of the world.

So who's your hero?

The short film clip creates a buzz around one individual, whose actions single-handedly protect an unbiased broadcast service. After much build up, the identity of this hero is revealed to be the viewer themselves. The reveal is achieved by the sender pre-loading a photograph of the recipient before they forward the film clip link.

The campaign launched in November 2009 and since then some 6.1 million Hero films have been created, and the viral has spread to 230 countries. The Radiotjänst Hero site has received 17.1 million unique visitors, which is impressive for a public broadcaster in a country with a population of 9 million.

Viral videos live or die by the impulse they create in the viewer to send the video onwards. In this case Radiotjänst have included a new element - the inclusion of the recipient's photo - that drives the viewer to share the movie with their friends. The film is also notable for empowering those who participate in the license scheme, instead of chastising those who don't.

The initial goal of 500 Hero-inspired subscriptions was surpassed, and currently stands at 2500 new license holders. Broadcasters from other territories have expressed an interest in licensing the format to inspire their own collection rates.