CHALLENGE
Armour, shield, sword and lance — no medieval knight would have entered battle without them. Their modern-day successors, however, fight with fundraising campaigns, trucks delivering food to war zones, and teams of social and healthcare professionals. Their main adversaries today are poverty and disease.
Our client, the Hungarian Branch of the Order of St John, commissioned our agency to make their charitable, educational, healthcare and social activities more visible through traditional PR tools on the occasion of the organisation’s 100th anniversary in Hungary.
SOLUTION
Given the wide-ranging activities of the Order, we first developed an extended publication — more comprehensive than a traditional brochure, yet accessible and engaging — presenting the organisation’s past, present and mission in depth.
Building on this foundation, we amplified carefully selected stories through strategic press communication, each highlighting different segments of the Order’s service.
The launch of a unique training programme for family members caring for loved ones with dementia was contextualised by addressing dementia as an increasingly pressing social issue in Hungary. Church and cultural editorial offices were particularly engaged by the story of more than 170 crucifixes to which the Johannites found new homes.
On the centenary of the independent Hungarian branch, the history of the chivalric order itself became an essential narrative, which we primarily positioned in cultural, public affairs and history-focused media outlets.
The peak of the three-month communication campaign was a charitable initiative in which the 100-year-old Hungarian Branch of the Order of St John sought supporters to assist 100 congregations in Transcarpathia. Together, we drew attention to an important yet little-known issue: as many believers in the region were forced to flee their homes due to the war, congregations increasingly struggled to finance the heating and electricity of their churches. There was a real concern that church bells might soon fall silent in multiple settlements.
RESULTS
During the three months of the campaign, the charitable work of the Hungarian Johannites generated over 170 media appearances. High-reach national news portals such as 24.hu, Index and Világgazdaság covered the organisation’s activities.
Perhaps even more importantly — though less measurable — the charitable initiative re-engaged supporters who had previously contributed to Transcarpathian communities, while the Johannites’ humanitarian service in Ukraine gained renewed momentum.
In June 2025, the PR campaign for the Hungarian Branch of the Order of St John received the Bronze Award at the PR Excellence Hungary Awards.
Creators: Fruzsina Helmeczi-Szabó, Johanna Altorjay, Lőrinc Balogh