Fundraising campaign for Food Bank wins Top Ad in August

Media: The Fort Collins Coloradoan
Client: The Food Bank
Campaign: Buck Hunger
Key executives: Fort Collins Coloradoan's Mike Solo, graphic design, and Kristi Fanning, Marketing Manager

Challenge: The Food Bank of Larimer County, a fresh food pantry, conducts an annual holiday food drive supported by The Fort Collins Coloradoan for the 26 years. But in late 2012, the Food Bank needed cash more than food. Part of the reason is that the bank can purchase food more cheaply than an average shopper, so cash can feed more people. The Coloradoan's challenge was to create a campaign that conveyed this message.

Concept:  The new campaign created by the marketing team at the Coloradoan used the slogan “Buck Hunger," and asked people to donate $1.  The word "buck" which also means "overcome," and clever branding combined with a slogan $1 = 1 meal. 

Here's another sample of promotional materials from the campaign:

Distribution  included print, online, flyers, and radio via a partnership. A unique feature was how the  Coloradoan used its advertisers as donation sites, providing added value from their relationship with the newspaper.

A series of promotions were also used to drive traffic to donation sites.  The campaign kicked off on Dec. 1, 2012, with a launch party at Silvermine Subs, an advertiser.

Two radiocasts included onsite appearances from two Broncos Cheerleaders, swag giveaways, and entertainment.

An Ugly Sweater Party held at another local restaurant featured a special menu with part of the proceeds from that menu going to support “Buck Hunger.”

Results: The Food Bank raised $6,000 in cash and was able purchase more fresh food and provide more meals than ever before. Local businesses  that served as donation sites  were already customers. 

Judges at LocalMediaInsider who selected this campaign as August's  Top Ad winner aid they were impressed by the clear messaging and call to action, use of multi-media and how the campaign rewarded existing advertisers. While taking online donations seems to make sense, the most "interactive" feature possible is a live event where people can simply drop off the cash. Judges felt that in this case $6000 in food was a great result. 

Interested in Top Ads? Got a great campaign you would like to see recognized on a national level?   Enter your own great campaign here. 

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