Almost 18,000 children from some of the most remote places on the planet vaccinated against measles, 638 families struggling with the rise in living costs fed and thirteen-and-a-half tonnes of rubbish removed from rivers. That’s just some of the impact global ads for good company Good-Loop managed in 2021 – by getting people to watch online ads. 

Every time a consumer watches one of the advertising platform’s socially responsible ad formats, the company donates 50% of the media budget to good causes around the world – from protecting wildlife habitats to providing vital medical care to sick children and helping women escape domestic abuse. The advertiser receives more meaningful brand engagement, while the consumer gets to do good for free. Clients include Unilever, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Levi’s, Adidas, and Nike.

The ad tech for good platform today published its annual Impact Report, announcing in 2021 alone the company raised more than £2.5M towards global charities including The Trussell Trust, the WWF, Save The Children and Great Ormond Street. A 171% increase from the previous year, it brings the total raised by the Edinburgh company since it was formed in 2016 to £3.9m.

Good-Loop, a B Corporation that runs campaigns in over 18 markets around the world, is on a mission to make the connection between brands and consumers more meaningful by delivering respectful ads that have real social impact – while also driving significant business and brand uplifts for advertisers.

The money donated in 2021 – generated by running more than 100 online ad campaigns for 73 different brands – was used to a fund a number of activities, including:

• The Trussell Trust: 638 families fed; 
• River Clean-up: 13,475 kg of rubbish collected from rivers;
• FareShare: Enough surplus food for the equivalent of 74,900 meals redistributed to charities and community groups across the UK;
• Love The Oceans: 12,689 lbs of rubbish removed from oceans;
• WeForest: More than 1,000 football pitches (721.3 hectares) of forest restored;
• Save The Children: 1,822 period kits provided, including feminine hygiene products and essential items like soap, to communities and schools in Bangladesh;
• Young Lives vs Cancer: 798 social workers provided for young children with cancer;
• GOSH: 102 nights of accommodation;
• Living Without Abuse: Up to 100 victims of domestic abuse or sexual abuse in Leicestershire and Rutland supported.

Chiara Cadei, partnerships manager at the World Wildlife Fund, said: “We’re delighted to name Good Loop as one of our partners. By simply watching an advert, users can contribute to the WWF’s mission of creating a world where people and wildlife can thrive together. The money raised through the campaign will help to safeguard our most cherished wildlife – including magnificent rhinos, tigers and turtles – from threats such as poaching and habitat loss. Together we can save our one shared home.” 

Becca McNair, community fundraising & engagement manager, Save the Children UK, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Good-Loop and their partnering brands. Good-Loop is incredibly proactive and delivers excellent levels of stewardship. Donation values have recently doubled and they continue to support children throughout the globe by partnering with Save the Children.” 

Good-Loop CEO and founder Amy Williams said: “Good-Loop’s ambition is to turn advertising into a force for good by becoming the Fairtrade stamp of advertising – connecting brands, people and good causes globally. We’ve now raised over USD$5m (£4m) for brilliant causes around the world, supporting everything from childhood literacy to coral reef protection and Black Lives Matter. The depth and breadth of our impact is something we’re incredibly proud of. It’s an honour to work with industry-leading brands, helping them to have the most authentic and meaningful impact. The charity stories in this report show how meaningful that funding can be.”

Good-Loop also launched a number of solutions aimed at reducing the environmental impact of digital advertising in 2021, including its Green Ad Tag, which enables advertisers to track the carbon generated by their digital ad campaigns in real time. The company also launched its Tabs For Good web browser, which lets people raise money for charities just by opening new browser tabs.

You can access the full Impact Report here.