Campaign / Upper Makefield Fire Co.
Building on Established Value
Again asked to create the fundraising campaign for the Upper Makefield Fire Company, the development of this years campaign was based on building their value and highlighting their importance to the community. As the concept and creative for the prior year's campaign had been developed, the project began with the development of the concept and message, applied to the development of the look and feel.
As in the previous year's campaign, the concept and message communicated the importance of the fire company within the community without guilting the reader, or making claims that overplay the fire company.
With the concept development based on the value of the fire company, who they are and what they provide to the community, especially in an emergency, the developed concept, "in time or too late" was created, and based on the fire company needing to be "at the ready" to ensure an emergency did not become as disaster. That value-driven concept was developed into multiple elements of that message and message concept, that built-on, expanded-on, and played-into the message. The messaging was then incorporated into the writing and applied to the visual development.
The design approach and the creative development focused on using the message and a prominent visual element, using a strong image to enhance the message. With the design applied to the layout and development of the mailer-a two-sided tri-fold letter mailed in a window envelope. When opened the folded letter was hard hitting in design and message. The campaign design was then applied to multiple components for the web and social media.
“Building on the organization value and the importance of the fire company in an emergency, the messaging was developed into an if/then, action/outcome structure, to highlight the importance of the fire company in an emergency.”
Project Summary
As in the previous year's campaign and the current campaign, rather than guilting the reader or making over-the-top claims, the campaign was based on the value the fire company provides, the importance to the resident and the community, especially in an emergency, based on the services provided. It then used the value to communicate what they need in order to provide these services. In the development of the current campaign, the new messaging and creative built on that concept, using new creative applied in the message and design.
Creative Approach
Developed as an either/or, if/then, action/outcome structure,the developed messaging played on consequences, highlighting the importance of the fire company in an emergency. As the message is an essential element of the campaign goal and what will drive donations, the design approach focused on developing the message as prominent visual element, delivered through designing with typography.
Summary & Notes
Building on the importance of the fire company in an emergency, the messaging was developed into an if/then, either/or, action/outcome structure, playing on consequences and highlighting the importance of the fire company in an emergency.
With “At the ready” a core element of the message, that concept was written as:
“When minutes matter at the ready is the difference between in time or too late.”
With the preparation concept as “at the ready”, that element was incorporated with the either/or, action/reaction format, with the potential negative outcome that would effect the reader/resident:
"At the ready is the difference between in time and too late".
With the negative outcome element from the danger of a fire, the writing asks the reader:
“When it matters can we count on you?”
This writing structure was developed from the established core organization value element, created to justify and ask for donations that would ensure their service to the community continued.