The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army

Give with joy campaign

Give with
joy campaign

Lead Designer

Lead Designer

Lead Designer

Campaign Strategy

Campaign Strategy

Campaign Strategy

A campaign built on

the joy of giving

A campaign built
on the joy of giving

OVERVIEW

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.

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

3,348

Total leads generated

in Flight 1

Total leads generated
in Flight 1

$9.33


$9.33


Cost per lead — most efficient

in campaign history

Cost per lead — most efficient
in campaign history

2.25M

2.25M

Impressions served

in Flight 1

Impressions served in Flight 1

20%

20%

Cost improvement over

previous Flight 1

Cost improvement over
previous Flight 1

THE CHALLENGE

Designing warmth without

being saccharine

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.

  • Tone

  • 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.

THE CHALLENGE
Designing warmth without being saccharine
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.
  • Tone
  • 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.

THE CHALLENGE

Designing warmth without

being saccharine

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.

  • Tone

  • 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.

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.

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.

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

FLIGHT 1 RESULTS

Creative that performed

Creative
that performed

3,348

3,348

3,348

Total leads generated

in Flight 1

$9.33


$9.33


$9.33


Cost per lead — most efficient in campaign history

Cost per lead — most efficient in campaign history

469K

469K

469K

Unique users reached

Unique users

reached

18,334

18,334

18,334

Clicks (0.81% CTR)

20%

20%

More cost-efficient than the previous Flight 1 — attributed to leading with more compelling creative and a campaign setup aligned with best practices.

More cost-efficient than the previous Flight 1 — attributed to leading with more compelling creative and a campaign setup aligned with
best practices.