Mile High Workshop | Art Director at Ad 2 Colorado | 2020
Award Winning Pro-Bono Work with Local Non-Profit
Partnering with Ad 2 Colorado, I had the opportunity to conceive, direct, and create a bold campaign that offered an opportunity for a local non-profit to show the world what they do.
Mile High Workshop exists to provide second chances to people who don’t normally get an opportunity. Their participants won’t take the second chance for granted, and with our help, they won’t need a third. MHW is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing job training and employment for individuals recovering from addiction, incarceration, and homelessness.
AWARDS First Place Winner at the National Ad 2 Public Service Competition, Silver Addy Award for AAF District 12, and Winner at Ad Club Colorado’s The Fifty
Mile High Workshop supports this underserved community by providing transitional employment opportunities as they work in the shop and learn the skills they need to rebuild their lives.
While teaching practical job skills in warehouse kitting, sewing, and assembly, they also offer counseling and other support services. Since 2014, they have hired over 150 participants. Of those who spend over 90 days at MHW, 73% continue on to productive careers and successfully restart their lives. Mile High Workshop provides second chances to those in our community who need it most.
Key Challenges and Goals
Through research and discovery, we identified three major challenges:
MHW heavily relied on donations and grants for funding and aimed to diversify its donor base.
The need for a streamlined process to acquire new business contacts and long-term partners.
Underutilization of their Sew Shop, which had potential for generating more income.
Our goals were to establish business sponsorships, develop a campaign for generating donations through product sales, and build long-term business partnerships.
Campaign Strategy
Our two-fold strategy focused on:
Establishing sponsorships with businesses to donate raw materials, which could then be sold as repurposed bags.
A direct-to-consumer campaign to drive sales and donations.
We decided on the “Second Chance Series” campaign, which highlighted the concept of second chances both in materials and people's lives.
B2B Relationships and Strategy
We aimed to find brand sponsors for raw materials and convert these relationships into long-term partnerships post-campaign. Our outreach included cold emails, LinkedIn messaging, and presentations. We targeted national brands with a sustainability focus and local Colorado brands.
Our research showed that it was equally important to showcase the sustainability of repurposing vinyl as it was to showcase the lives that are being changed. The creative had to be bold—in design and approach to reach the business and consumer targets. Second Chance Series is saturated in color and emotion to catch eyes and pull heartstrings. It shows that sustainable practices can be practical and that brands and people can help without giving anyone a handout.
Our clients loved the handmade elements and vibrant visual flair of the campaign. Creating a look all its own we used colors that popped, illustrations that moved, and a message that spoke to anyone who has ever wanted a do-over.
The centerpiece of our DTC campaign, our paid social ads had a variety of messaging priorities. Some were top-funnel with a bag focus, while others were bottom-funnel with more of a “support the mission” focus. But all of them are bold and thumb-stopping.
Direct-To-Consumer Campaign
The campaign targeted millennials interested in sustainable, well-made products. We utilized a small budget for targeted social media ads and benefited from a donated billboard placement for increased visibility. Our tactics included paid social ads, landing pages, email campaigns, and public relations efforts.
Results and Impact
Before the COVID-19 pandemic delayed our launch, we had successfully engaged several brands as sponsors, including Adobe and the Denver Art Museum. We projected the sale of over 300 bags, increasing MHW's social media following and email list, and developing new long-term business partnerships.
Overall, this campaign exemplified a comprehensive approach to addressing social issues through strategic marketing and partnerships, despite facing challenges such as limited resources and the onset of the pandemic.