Wounded Warrior Project: Animated display
Overview
Project
Write a display ad to align with a cross-channel campaign on veteran suicide.
Challenge
Previous paid social ads using suicide statistics had failed. How could we draw people into a topic no one wants to talk about?
Role
I first collaborated with the social channel strategist to create a static paid social ad with storytelling instead of stats. Results were mixed. But the programmatic channel strategist saw potential. Working with the designer, we converted the social ad to animated display.
Process
Veteran suicide is a growing crisis in our country. Past ad campaigns were built on the idea that if people just knew the statistics, they'd donate.
But statistics without story can feel clinical and emotionally absent. The audience was psychologically numbed into inaction.
Digging into client research, we learned that a major risk factor for veteran suicide is survivor guilt. That's something you don't have to be a veteran to understand. Everyone can relate on some level, whether it's avoiding a car accident by minutes or surviving a health crisis that others don't.
Our ad concept focused on how this warrior was alive simply because of where he sat in the vehicle that day. And how deeply he struggled with the guilt. The ad first ran on paid social. Later the team wanted to try it in display. Not an easy story to tell in three frames. But the results, like the ad, stood out.
Results
This ad exceeded all metrics, especially in acquisition and reactivation.
Assisted revenue ROAS: | 47% increase YOY |
Assisted revenue: | 10% increase YOY |
Top-performing creative for: | Prospects |
Top-performing creative for: | Retargeting |
Top-performing creative for: | Prior donors |