07.13.09

Salvation Army "This Ad Cost Nothing" campaign

Out-of-Home Ads, Public Service

Just when communities need their services most, many nonprofits have been forced to cut back because of record budget shortfalls. Such was the case for The Salvation Army, which obviously didn’t have money for a big print or broadcast buy; instead Portland, Maine-based The VIA Group turned to the community and harnessed the power of 50 local businesses.

The creative team wrote, painted, stamped and even burned campaign messages onto everything from rocks, tarps and dirty car windshields to storefront windows, pizza boxes and coffee sleeves. The messages were everywhere; but this wasn’t just powerful guerrilla marketing. The most important thing about this campaign was that fifty small businesses, very few with substantial marketing budgets, offered whatever they could—counter space, cars, windows, boxes, bags and prime local media real estate. Conceptually, it was beautiful. By using donated space, the campaign itself became a proof point for the message, “doing more with less.” It captured the community’s social conscience and harnessed its collective spirit.

Chris Avantaggio, art director; Patrick Sperry, senior art director/multimedia; Mike Irvine, writer; Greg Smith, chief creative officer; Meghan Gildart, associate producer; Tim Johnston, director; Patrick Sperry, editor; Andrew Frederick, Cerf-Volantes, music.

www.vianow.comwww.salvationarmyd ...