The Salvation Army
Give with joy campaign
Lead Designer
Campaign Strategy
A campaign built on the joy of giving
OVERVIEW
The Salvation Army's Give With Joy campaign was conceived as a reframe — moving away from heavy, guilt-driven charity messaging toward something warmer, more human, and genuinely uplifting. The core insight: giving should feel as good for the giver as it does for the receiver.
The campaign ran across two flights on Meta, targeting potential donors and constituents within the Central Territory. The goal was lead generation — growing The Salvation Army's email and SMS subscriber list through emotionally resonant creative that drove sign-ups.
3,348
Total leads generated
in Flight 1
$9.33
Cost per lead — most efficient in campaign history
2.25M
Impressions served
in Flight 1
20%
Cost improvement over previous Flight 1
THE CHALLENGE
Designing warmth without being saccharine
Tone
The Give With Joy guidelines called for heartfelt optimism — not loud or forced cheer. Every asset had to feel genuine, not performative, in a space where charity fatigue is real.
Brand adherence
All creative had to work within established campaign guidelines — color palette, typography, the visual "JOY" device — while still feeling fresh across multiple formats and flights.
Performance pressure
Assets were measured directly against lead volume and cost per lead. Design decisions had real performance consequences — the creative needed to stop the scroll and convert.
Format range
Deliverables spanned static and animated formats across 1:1 and 9:16 aspect ratios — each requiring its own layout thinking while maintaining visual cohesion across the campaign.
Get involved.
Join our community.
Make an impact.
GIVE WITH JOY
MY CONTRIBUTION
Lead designer across two campaign flights
I was the lead designer responsible for all creative assets across both flights — working within the Give With Joy brand guidelines while bringing my own creative thinking to how those assets were interpreted, composed, and brought to life.
FLIGHT 2 APPROACH
Evergreen campaign
Flight 2 strategy and creative were based on 3 pillars, which were drawn from the previous flight’s individual asset and overall campaign performance analysis:
Joy-led, action-infused storytelling
Creative was driven by joyful moments of participation — not just giving money, but being part of something bigger. Copy and visuals worked together to make involvement feel energizing.
Community over charity
Repositioned The Salvation Army as a community-driven organization — not a charity you donate to, but a movement you actively join. Supporters don't just give; they support, serve, and uplift.
Crisp, action-oriented copy
Copy was made tighter and more direct — focused on the specific action (signing up, getting involved) and the feeling it creates, rather than broad mission language or seasonal hooks.
FLIGHT 1 RESULTS
Creative that performed
3,348
Total leads generated
in Flight 1
$9.33
Cost per lead — most efficient in campaign history
469K
Unique users reached
18,334
Clicks (0.81% CTR)
20%
More cost-efficient than the previous Flight 1 — attributed to leading with more compelling creative and a campaign setup aligned with best practices.
Raga sandya Kesavan
rkesav94@gmail.com
Linkedin I Resume