Press advertising ‘off the page’


Royal National Lifeboat Institution: ‘boots’ advertisement

The shopping list is a classic fundraiser's device and this ad exploits the instrument to its full, offering the donor, in effect, the chance to kit out his or her hero.

ANC – emergency pre-election fundraising, from 1992

The ANC campaign that pioneered professional political fundraising in the UK and offered the British public the chance to play an active role in getting rid of apartheid forever.The campaign raised £2 million in six months with no budget and just one paid member of staff.

Help The Aged ‘make a blind man see’ press advertisement

This ad is a classic. Created by the legendary Harold Sumption in the late 1970s, it embodies one of the most direct and hard-to-resist fundraising propositions, ‘Make a blind man see’. It is a brilliant example of fundraising communication at its best.

ActionAid: the ‘postal parent’ advert

These two black and white ads look dated now, and the first of these at least seems patronising too. But when these ‘postal parent’ advertisements appeared in the UK in the mid 1970s they were state-of-the art, the epitome of direct response fundraising.

Amnesty International UK: press ads that shook a nation

These ads changed the political shape of Britain, raised social consciousness generally as well as concerns for human rights in particular.We do not have all the details about this campaign but SOFII decided to showcase it because we believe that every fundraiser wherever he or she works should be familiar with these ads and what they achieved.

WWF Canada’s press advertising, or... ‘you didn’t really approve this, did you?’

In the early 80s, one way WWF Canada had built its database of donors was by asking magazines to run full page black and white ads featuring endangered species. Readers were encouraged to cut out a coupon, fill it in and send it back with a contribution.

In a creative meeting with the agency who had produced the first three ads, which had been very successful, WWF decided to change the format. In a moment of inspiration, they put the cut-out ad in the middle of the page.

The RNLI ‘He’ll face…All we ask of you’ press insert

Stained with the passage of time and perhaps more than a little carelessness, the face looking out at the reader from this single sheet insert has nevertheless lost nothing of its strength and power to impress. The simple direct proposition makes this one of the classic fundraising offers of all time.

Amnesty International Australia: David Hicks press insert 2007

Amnesty International Australia’s campaigning on multiple fronts helped to bring home David Hicks. The clever presentation of a compelling message and the chance for involvement in a campaign that could make a real, tangible difference presented AIA with an appropriate opportunity to retest the use of loose inserts to recruit regular givers.

Amnesty International: throw-away insert campaign

Amnesty International’s fundraising is rarely other than enterprising, inspirational and effective and this insert doesn’t fail to live up to expectations. Here, Amnesty International used people’s contrary instincts about the medium to their benefit by creating an insert with a warning not to open it.

UNHCR’s goodwill ambassador

Goodwill ambassadors have become the accepted public face of many INGOs, particularly those in the UN system. But UNHCR’s selection, recruitment and deployment of their public celebrity is a textbook example of how to do it. UNHCR has managed to engage a major celebrity with very simple means at virtually no cost.

The Wishing Well Appeal for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital

It’s difficult to do justice to a capital campaign as wide, and complex. This is a condensed summary of a major capital campaign which, at the time, was the largest appeal ever mounted in the UK.

The RNLI ‘stand behind these men’ press ad

The message is simple and direct – it tells who the RNLI is, what it does, and gets straight to the point by asking what the reader will contribute. It also uses a photograph of a crew member at the top of the page – a tradition that continues today.

Bhopal Medical Appeal: press advertisements

On one awful night in 1984 the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India exploded sending clouds of poisonous gas across the city that would kill tens of thousands of people and inflict misery and suffering on future generations. Thus began the Bhopali people’s search for justice and treatment, which led to the founding of the BMA, whose advertisements have become the symbols of a crime that, more than 25 years later, still inflicts unimaginable suffering and still goes unpunished. The Bhopal Medical Appeal campaigns to change this, through its fundraising.

Bhopal Medical Appeal: B’Eau Pal publicity stunt: don’t go near the water!

Don’t go near the water: 25 years after the world’s worst ever man-made disaster, B’EauPal shows that effective political campaigning takes ’bottle’ (a commonly used London term for courageous risk-taking). This is a classic opportunistic protest in a good cause.

RCSB Bhopal emergency appeal

Created in less than two hours, this ad went on to raise more than 20 times its total costs in just a few days, to become a classic example of disaster appeal advertising. More than £420,000 was raised and most of it directly attributable to the press advertisements.

RSPCA’s pile of dead dogs advertisement

This high impact poster from Britain’s leading animal welfare charity stopped a nation of dog lovers in their tracks. It changed the way many British people felt about one of their most respected, most ‘establishment’ charities.

Oxfam’s press ads from the 1950s and 60s

These press advertisements really did change the course of fundraising in Britain. They helped Oxfam to grow into a substantial international charity. Though they might seem crude and simplistic now, these ads very effectively alerted the post-war British public to considerable humanitarian needs abroad.

The ActionAid inserts with built-in reply mechanism

This promotion raised £millions and won almost every direct marketing award going. It also helped propel a new and little known organisation called ActionAid into the list of Britain's top 20 charities. Action Aid created a new format, which was then copied by dozens, perhaps hundreds of other organisations.

Greenpeace Portugal: the unfortunate example of the reversed out coupon

A bit of a blunder here, we suspect, unless Portugese people habitually carry pens around with them that have white ink, for writing on black background.

Aide et Action press ads/thank you methodology

A simple idea for ‘start-up NGOs’ based on true donor relationship building. What’s really significant here is the way that Aide et Action’s CEO cultivated and encouraged press involvement and support, so that they were were only too willing to help with donations of free advertising space.

Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia: bequest conversion pack

This very detailed exhibit shows clearly how to ask donors and potential donors for the biggest gift they’ll ever make – a legacy. The campaign achieved brilliant results and stands out in the charity sector as an example of good bequest (legacy) marketing. It showed that asking someone for a bequest doesn’t have to be daunting and risky, as long as it is done in a sensitive, respectful manner that offers an emotive and compelling case for support.

Dogs Trust canine care card

This light-hearted approach from the Dogs Trust belies what is a hugely succesful and appropriate fundraising proposition. So, does humour really not work in fundraising? This exhibit suggests otherwise.

WWF integrated legacy marketing campaign

This is truly ground-breaking communication for fundraising. Not only did these press advertisements and posters herald a new approach to the promotion of legacies (bequests) but they were also the first ads to use jargon-free language and to talk about legacies in plain, everyday terms that any one could understand.

THE PLAN: the launch of child sponsorship, Spain 1937

This exhibit focuses on a documentary film made by Plan International, which shows how the idea of child sponsorship emerged and grew as a response to the dangers faced by children in the Spanish civil war, more than 70 years ago.

Feed the Children’s ‘baby box’

The baby box was devised specifically to respond to the need to maintain giving at a time when donor interest was flagging and the idea for it came from the best possible place – the charity workers on the front line.

Kelvingrove refurbishment appeal: capital campaign

Find out how this great, superbly well planned capital campaign was executed with such great style and character that it exceeded its target by more than two times.

HEKS charity shop Switzerland: virtual but not traditional gifts

This first exhibit to come to SOFII from a Swiss fundraising organisation could hardly be better. This campaign was created to give donors an option to buy a virtual Christmas gift, the money raised from which benefits disadvantaged people overseas and in Switzerland.

Crisis Christmas card challenge

'Send a singer’ is one example from a charity for homeless people in the UK – it’s fun, it’s engaging, it’s compatible with the charity’s values. In essence this campaign addresses corporate social responsibility agendas, offers a practical solution to the traditional Christmas card chore and offers participating companies a unique and high impact marketing opportunity.

Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and Dove Self-Esteem Fund

Here’s a company using exactly the same tactics that charities use to campaign for social change while, of course, rather effectively selling its product range at the same time.

The Foundation for Childbirth with Dignity: 'you have a right to ask’ campaign

This brave, important campaign broke new ground in public education in Poland and raised money too.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Three simple yet direct black and white legacy advertisements from the archives of RSPB, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. This exhibit is "under construction" (if you have any information about these ads please let us know).

Jewish Care Post-it campaign

The ideas that look most obvious and the execution that looks so easy and straightforward of course rarely are. There’s no such thing as simple creativity. But here is a great idea executed with flair so as to be instantly clear and appealing.

Dobrota Foundation: ‘everyone can be a philanthropist’ campaign

This massively ambitious multi-media campaign generated results that speak for themselves. It shows what can be achieved with vision and commitment, even in an emerging market.

Bosnian Handicrafts: ‘shopping with a purpose’ campaign

This highly professional multi-media campaign from Bosnia shows that inspirational and innovative fundraising can succeed anywhere.

Arthritis Care: ‘people like us’ campaign

This colourful, imaginative campaign recruited new members at one third of previous costs because it’s creative, engaging and thought-provoking. It stirred people from their daily routine into doing something different.

Casa Speranti Edelweiss campaign

Public fundraising is an increasingly important but still emerging activity in Romania. Here Casa Speranti correctly identified the power of linking their fundraising initiatives to the church.

Giving Scotland crisis campaign

The Giving Scotland campaign was launched in the face of intense scrutiny of charities in Scotland but this courageous campaign changed everything.

Croatian Dogs appeal for new building

This campaign to build a rehabilitation centre in Zagreb raised a large amount of money at an impressively low cost to income ratio.

Helvetas: integrating awareness and fundraising

It's good to see an organisation that is prepared to shock us into seeing that many people just don’t have the basic amenities we take for granted.

Centrepoint ‘sponsor a room’: donor acquisition by press advertising, with TV and direct mail too

This exhibit is proof that traditional direct response fundraising can still work in the current fundraising climate. It demonstrates simple yet effective press advertising combined with a clever use of digital technology.

Centrepoint sponsor a room: the press ad and welcome pack.

This piece is linked to the Centrepoint ‘Sponsor a Room’ – donor acquisition by press advertising, with TV and direct mail too exhibit.

The Amnesty International shame Shell campaign.

This exciting exhibit from Amnesty International UK reveals new and innovative ways to keep your donors at the heart of your next campaign.

The Children’s Hospital Trust operating theatre complex campaign

This is a good example of how different types of fundraising can work alongside one another to create a successful campaign with a broad appeal.

The battle to save the Staffordshire Hoard.

This emergency appeal captivated the imagination of the public and was so successful that it even closed a few weeks early. This will be a useful read for all fundraisers.

Christian Aid’s text for nets

This exhibit is a great example of modern fundraising. While there is a lot of talk about fundraising by text messages, rarely do we find an appeal that makes it so easy, so compelling and so tangible.

Kids Help Phone: buy a kid some time

This exhibit demonstrates how a simple but powerful message combined with a comprehensive integrated campaign strategy can secure real success.

Wood Green, The Animals Charity’s urgent £3 food appeal

Wood Green, The Animals Charity changed their fundraising strategy and are now achieving better ROIs on their cold recruitment campaigns than ever before.

PCRF: fundraising from beyond the grave

How often does a fundraising campaign bring a star back from the dead to front a campaign for the disease that killed him? This is innovative fundraising, no doubt.

Oxfam’s press ads from the 1950s and 60s

These press advertisements really did change the course of fundraising in Britain. They helped Oxfam to grow into a substantial international charity. Though they might seem crude and simplistic now, these ads very effectively alerted the post-war British public to considerable humanitarian needs abroad.