The 2010 Jay Chiat Awards for Strategic Excellence Winners

Brand Experience—Gold
Nail Communications
"Making Something of Nothing"

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank was facing its most challenging set of circumstances since opening its doors in 1982: The worst economic downturn in generations resulting in unprecedented demand at their pantries. And a skeptical results-oriented donor base saw hunger prevention as a never-ending 24-hour battle, against which their donation would have little impact.

The recruitment of the younger, educated, tech-savvy wealthier and regular donor we needed
to supplant the check-writing, once-a-year, older and poorer existing base was frustrated by a
perception that nothing could end hunger in Rhode Island.

After attempting to think our way around the issue, we came to the realization that perhaps the solution was actually to go right at it. Perhaps nothing really could end hunger in Rhode Island.

Our research also uncovered that our target donors didn't want to be made to feel guilty. They
wanted to feel empowered. The typical "tear-jerker" pro-bono TV spot that the stations ran in
whatever slots their paying customers didn't want, wasn't going to turn them into long-term
advocates for our cause.

The final game-changing idea was to figuratively put the problem beside the solution. If we were to solve hunger, we had to behave like, even become, a food brand. Who knew that a great creative department would turn something figurative into something so literal?

But who knew that nothing could end hunger in Rhode Island?

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