Philadelphia is America’s poorest big city with a poverty rate of 26 percent and almost 1 in 5 children living in poverty. Statistics like these drove the United Way of Greater Philadelphia & Southern New Jersey to reassess their model and adopt a cause-focused strategy centered around ending intergenerational poverty. To jump-start fundraising efforts, Untuck was entrusted to conceptualize and execute United Way’s annual campaign by harnessing the collective power of its donors, advocates, and volunteers. With support from the campaign, the United Way can help individuals and families break the cycle of poverty in the region.
We began by bringing focus to the inclusivity of the United Way and personalizing the impact of its work through storytelling. Using experiences from all types of people, we framed the collective power of the Impact Fund by providing a view into the process from fundraising to delivery—macro to micro—while creating emotional connections that are accessible across demographics. We crafted messaging on the idea of United Way heroes. Each and every person that contributes to the strength and impact of United Way’s work is seen as a hero and their accomplishments are worthy of praise. Through the marriage of clear messaging, bold typography, vibrant color, and emotive photography the identity for this heroic campaign was set; it comes across as powerful and dynamic, yet injected with warmth to give it mass appeal. The comprehensive design system provides flexibility and extendability across channels while allowing for customization and personalization.
Heroes take a courageous step forward to ask for help, bettering their lives and those around them. Heroes selflessly volunteer to serve, meeting the needs of others. Heroes rally complete strangers to join the cause and start the next wave of change. Heroes give faithfully to benefit the greater good of a region in need. Heroes are those who leverage their company's position to pool workforce contributions—because ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact.
We teamed up with Kelly Hennigan Photography to capture the authenticity of the people that form the United Way—from recipients to donors and volunteers, to corporate sponsors and campaign chairs. Through photography techniques and meaningful poses, our heroes are featured without having to say a word.
We created a digital presence that complements and extends the message of the traditional print materials. This digital space offers flexibility to United Way internal teams and is a highly trackable and effective means of connecting with its donor base—inspiring them to act.
The 2019-20 campaign took a digital-first approach using the established design system. New photography and a messaging evolution allowed for a fresh, yet familiar campaign, building on its equity and aiming for long-term recognition. Curated landing pages were created to inspire people to explore, contribute, and lead.
