Social video is a powerful tool for any organization, not just publishers and media companies. Change.org puts social video to use in spreading the word about petitions and movements. This recent video has over 2.4 million views, more than 130,000 shares in addition to tens of thousands of reactions and a lively comment thread.

Check out this straightforward clip:

Actor Gael García Bernal is an global star, but he holds a special place in the hearts of his fellow Mexicans. In this piece, Gael addresses the viewer and audience directly, fact-to-face, to talk about a petition regarding Mexico.

Celebrity features are great for social, but this content takes that to the next level. This video doesn’t bring Bernal into the viewer’s space. The combination of mobile footage and his speaking directly to the camera create a sense of personal connection and urgency for a viewer.

Developing an emotional connection with viewers is important for all video content. For a piece that is meant to prompt engagement and consideration of a serious issue, it is critical. Change.org has no problem cultivating that connection here!

With this powerful footage of Gael in hand, the creators keep their edits and additions to a minimum. Gael’s speech is captioned, assuring the video can be effective even on mute. And the creators highlight the link to the petition in the video, using a stand-out red color that matches Change.org’s branding.

The Change logo in the top left corner of the video offers a constant visual reminder of the organization behind the content. To further prime this piece for social success, it’s kept to a short 53 seconds and uses a square aspect ratio.

The creators at Change.org understand the power of social video. And they know how to use video to motivate action. We look forward to more powerful videos from their team!