Vote Rhythmix - the charity, rather than the show.

On a cold, wet November evening something on Twitter caught the eye of Team Unity. A small youth music charity - Rhythmix <http://rhythmixmusic.org.uk/> - released an open letter to Simon Cowell, with whom they were locked in trademark battle over an X Factor band with the same name.

Publically, X Factor had changed the band¹s name to Little Mix, but privately Cowell¹s company - Simco Limited - was still pursuing name rights across Europe and legal bills were racking up.

Following a quick call to Rhythmix's Chief Exec offering pro bono support (we were outraged), four hours later a major social campaign spearheaded by Twitter and using hashtag #Cowellmustpay was live.

Borrowing the language of the X Factor we asked the public to 'Vote Rhythmix the charity, rather than the show'.

Vote the right thing! Give to @RhythmixMusic <https://twitter.com/#%21/RhythmixMusic>  & not to #XFactor #CowellMustPay text RTMX11 £1 to 70070

It soon caught fire, amassing over 700,000 social impressions in just 48 hours and generating support from the likes of Stephen Fry, Paul Epworth, Pearl Lowe, Lucy Rose, Simon Price, Jason Gardiner, Armando Iannucci, Adam Ficek, Caroline Lucas MP, Lisa Moorish, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly, God is In The TV, The Quietus, New Young Pony Club, Storm Lee & others.

The national media also agreed that for Simon it was 'TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC' with coverage appearing on the BBC, The Sun, The Independent, Left Foot Forward and online via MSN and Yahoo.

Even politicos stepped up, with Caroline Lucas filing an early day motion in the House of Commons.  The irony of such action from an industry which so fiercely protects its own copyright and trademark legislation wasn't lost on the public.

Gearing up for a second weekend of campaigning, we had filmed and edited a series of video vignettes featuring OSimon Cowell, OGary Barlow and OLouis Walsh voiced by Alistair McGowan -however it was never to see the light of day.

The noise we created was simply impossible to ignore - summed up succinctly by Twitter tour de force @Popjustice: 'Fucking hell can't someone just give Rhythmix the eight grand' - and Simon stepped in.

The battle was won, we downed tools and our videos were filed neatly in a cupboard for another day.

Simco Ltd not only paid all Rhythmix's legal costs, but also contributed generously to the charity and apologised for its action. Coupled with the extra £4,000 raised through text donations and the thousands of new follows generated, it was a fantastic outcome for the charity.  And to think that four days previously, Rhythmix had never even heard of Unity.

Thanks everyone for supporting!

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