May
20
Lirra’s being artsy. The Hay Building meets the Portland Museum of Art.
This Campaign Cost (Almost) Nothing
This is the story of the creation of an advertising campaign that cost (almost) nothing. VIA, a mid-sized, independent advertising agency in Portland, ME took on the pro bono challenge of raising awareness of the services of The Salvation Army in the Greater Portland area (raising a little money wouldn't hurt either). Adding to this challenge was the fact that 83 cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army goes directly to the people that it serves leaving very little money left over for expensive advertising campaigns. So VIA created a grassroots, guerrilla campaign that is being supported by 50+ Greater Portland businesses and includes over 5,000 creative placements in spots where you would never expect to see an ad (on store windows & coffee sleeves, inside pizza boxes & on rocks, on dirty car windows & shopping bags, the list goes on and on - we even got our message on modern furniture in the trendiest of places). This gargantuan guerrilla effort was supported by traditional print, online and TV advertising all created in-house and run on media donated by local network and cable TV stations, newspapers and websites. We will be EVERYWHERE.
It has been a ton of work but also a ton of fun. It has been great for us to really feel a part of a community effort at a time when our community needs us the most. The positive energy that has been generated has been pretty inspiring.
Oh yeah, did we mention that the concept for this campaign came from one of our youngest creative teams? And, that The Salvation Army stepped way outside of their box with this one? Well, it was and they did. Check us out in action here and check out our campaign site at www.salvationarmydonate.org
A True Giver
Lirra (showing a pic on her iPhone): Look how cool Patrick’s truck looks! We dirtied the back flap of his truck and I wrote on it!
Teddy: Cool!
Lirra: Can we do yours??
Teddy: I just washed it…
Lirra: You are SOOOO helpful
Teddy: I donated my tripod!
Lirra: Oh right, that obviously absolves you from any further efforts
Teddy: No, I mean, you can write on it if you want…
Lirra: No. I’m done with you.
May
19
‘Nothing’ Charity Ad is Really Something | Portland Press Herald | Justin Ellis
Great campaign write-up in Ellis’ weekly column - front page news
PORTLAND — The rocks weren’t working out. All 110 of them posed a problem: The ink wouldn’t stick.
If that wasn’t enough, there was the small issue of writing backward on a window two stories above Congress Street.
And then there was the cardboard chair.
When you see the Salvation Army’s new “This Ad Cost Nothing” campaign around town, keep in mind that it’s not just a clever play on how the organization spends its money. It’s also a bunch of solutions.
Local advertising house The VIA Group knew it had to get creative when it took on the campaign. Of course, that’s its job, but in this case the project was pro bono. And more importantly, it had to reflect how the Salvation Army itself works on a simple budget.
It may take money to look slick, but it took help from friends, elbow grease and a little guerrilla work to make an ad “cost nothing.”
That’s how you get painted rocks with little messages popping up on tables and counters, handwritten signs on the windows of local businesses, and cardboard furniture in a shop where a chair can cost thousands. MORE
Night view (just because we mentioned it).
May
17
Way up high…
One of our windows in progress
Thank you Local Thunder.
This one looks great at night.
Hey, we're on TV!
New England Cable News features VIA’s “This Campaign Cost Nothing” pro bono guerilla community advertising campaign for The Salvation Army.
NECN reaches over 4 million homes.
Very cool.
May
16
www.salvationarmydonate.org
Check out the campaign microsite.
Please.
It now has new photos of many of the guerrilla creative placements & the TV spot.
It makes us really happy.
It’s not really cheating.
She still writes free-hand.
Lirra did every single one.
We think she’s in NYC this weekend interviewing for a job at Barney’s (doing windows).
HEY, we're on the radio!
Check us out on Maine Public Broadcasting Network.
Campaign art director, VIA’s Chris Avantaggio takes MPBN’s Josie Huang on a tour of the guerilla creative placements around town.
Our client, Craig Evans, director of development, The Salvation Army of Northern New England gives a great interview.
You’ll hear from Brian Latham at Addo Novo, home to the now semi-famous “This Campaign Cost Nothing” chair.
Also, great commentary from people on the street.
We think Chris sounds pretty good on the radio….
I swear we’re not surprised.
Coffee anyone?
You can now find these all over Portland.
Bard Coffee, Maine Coffee Roasters, JavaNet and our most recent addition Morning in Paris.
There is no shortage of coffee drinkers in Portland.
At VIA sometimes it seems like we live on the stuff. And other assorted liquid refreshments.
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