Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Ad agencies stay up late to help out nonprofits
The yearly CreateAthon was held over the weekend and aided 19 organizations.
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June House walked away Monday with a snazzy logo, emblazoned on T-shirts, flying discs and even flip-flops, that she can use to promote a spring disc-throwing event for her organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Virginia.
Creatively inclined professionals pulled an all-nighter Sunday to design the logo for House's organization and promotional campaigns for 18 other area nonprofits. Their services were pro bono.
"We're impressed," said House, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters, which pairs children with adult mentors. "We were going to have to do something homemade. It's something that nonprofits don't have in their budget."
Creative types surviving on adrenaline and caffeine toiled away all night Sunday and into the wee morning hours Monday to design marketing materials, television spots and websites for 19 nonprofits as part of a 24-hour blitz called CreateAthon. The event, in its second year locally, began at 10 a.m. Sunday at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke.
About 70 advertising and public relations professionals devised marketing plans for area nonprofits that typically cannot afford to hire firms for promotional purposes. This year, the nonprofits included the Roanoke Rescue Mission, Angels of Assisi, the Special Olympics and Hopetree Family Services.
At 9 a.m. Monday, the groups presented the organizations with the projects on flash drives.
"It's an insane amount of work," said Chris McAdams, former president of the American Advertising Federation, Roanoke, the event's sponsor.
One of the largest projects was a 40-page website for the Downtown Music Lab in Roanoke, he said. Other groups created social media campaigns and even shot a 30-second television spot.
The services provided were worth about $150,000, estimated Jim Dudley, co-chairman of public service for AAF Roanoke.
Nonprofits apply for spots in the CreateAthon. They are chosen based on the number of volunteers available and the amount of work that feasibly can be completed in 24 hours, Dudley said.
This year, one additional nonprofit organization was chosen, compared with last year, but volunteers provided more work per group.
CreateAthon likely will be held again next year, but on Monday, a tired Dudley said he was glad this year's blitz was over.
"I haven't really done a lot of all-nighters since college," he said.
