Downtown Seattle Ad Campaign Reaches People Who Need Help
February 26, 2015 Updated: The Downtown Ad Campaign video produced by SAVN.TV. To see more of their videos, to participate in one of their video chats, or to simply learn more about The Salvation Army, visit their website by clicking HERE. |
February 26, 2015 A shorter (2 minute) version of the Downtown Ad Campaign video by SAVN.TV. Check it out! |
A recent ad campaign in Seattle targeted people who most need the help of The Salvation Army – the homeless and hopeless. A variety of outdoor media is used in this new campaign, aimed at people living on the street – including billboards, bus sides, posters, and flyers throughout the month of October.
The concept of the campaign came from Territorial Commissioner James Knaggs. More than 50 years ago, he witnessed a similar campaign organized by his parents when they were Corps Officers. Commissioner Knaggs’ mother ran a series of classified ads in the local newspaper, reaching out to “young girls in need of help or a friend to talk to.” The ad included the Knaggs’ family home telephone number.
A half century later, that “grassroots” campaign has stayed with Commissioner Knaggs. These days, the target audience is people in need of shelter, safety, and rehabilitation. And, the media used to reach them is more sophisticated (and expensive). Commissioner Knaggs paid for the campaign with Territorial funds.
Seattle was selected as the test market for this campaign for a few reasons. First, the programs are located in close proximity to one another in downtown Seattle. Men’s and women’s shelters, the Adult Rehabilitation Center, and a food bank, are all within a half mile of each other. Plus, Northwest Divisional Commander Major Doug Tollerud, with program administrators Captains Dana and Mary Libby (Seattle Social Services) and Captains Timothy and Judith Rockey (ARC), were on board with the experiment and willing to dedicate time and effort to campaign.
Commissioner Knaggs developed the campaign with The Richards Group. The simple design and bright colors (red, white, black) are sure to catch the eyes of passersby. One 20'x60' billboard - located near Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market - read “Are you addicted and need HELP?” with the ARC address and phone number listed.
Other art was targeted to homeless men and women, guiding them to shelter at the William Booth Center and Pike Street Women’s Shelter, respectively. “Are you in need of SHELTER? Do you need a place to SLEEP” were the messages in those posters, designed with an attractive checker-board design. Contact information and maps were also included to make it easy for the clients to find their way to The Salvation Army.
A highlight of the campaign was the “take-over” of the Pioneer Square bus tunnel, where hundreds of buses and thousands of people travel through each day. Thirty signs, with messages about various Salvation Army programs, dominate the bus station. And added benefit of the campaign is exposure to people who don’t need help themselves – but may not be aware of the many ways the Army helps those in need.
The results from the campaign have been encouraging. Both Captain Dana Libby and Captain Timothy Rockey reported increased attendance at their programs. Plus, phone calls requesting information were much higher than usual.
Captain Libby acknowledged an unexpected benefit of the ad campaign – excitement among the staff members. All program managers, front desk receptionists, and phone operators were briefed on the campaign and given tools for responding and referring clients to the appropriate program(s). As a result, Captain Libby finds that staff members have increased pride in their work and excitement about being a “test market” for this campaign.
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