A new campaign from Goodwill and the Ad Council is equal parts humorous and heartwarming, and it’s come just in time to coincide with the usual Thanksgiving advertising deluge. The Bring Good Home PSA is the pro bono brainchild of global advertising and marketing agency Digitas and is designed to encourage more Americans to shop at Goodwill and support the organization’s core mission.
The new campaign transforms local Goodwill store shoppers into town heroes and powerfully demonstrated the impact that small purchases can have on local communities.
The goal of the campaign for Goodwill is to reach out to shoppers caught in a competitive retail environment with a witty message designed to resonate across a range of mediums. It also raises awareness about how Goodwill’s network of community-based organizations are far more than just retail stores, but also prepare some 300,000 people for new jobs and career advancement annually.
For every dollar that Goodwill makes, an impressive eighty-seven cents goes directly back into Goodwill programs and services, including training and job placement, youth mentoring, financial education, child care, and transportation. From young adults to older workers, military veterans and the long-term unemployed, Goodwill is a community service for everyone.
In a bid to reach new audiences, this latest campaign from Goodwill adopted a brand new innovation for the organization: by enlisting influencers like lifestyle expert Mary Elizabeth Darling, creator Kristin Johns, and YouTuber Emily Wass, Goodwill opened the floor to fresh content. Whether it was a YouTube thrift haul video, or showing off new finds online with the hashtag #BringGoodHome, Goodwill was hugely successful in generating buzz around the campaign within its target audience.
In addition to working with influencers, Goodwill also invited its target audience to contribute user-generated content to the campaign. The organization reached out to people already sharing their Goodwill finds on their Instagram accounts, and asked them to submit photos of themselves in their favorite clothes, using found home goods, and more. These photos then formed an essential part of creating an authentic, and genuinely moving, online campaign.
Another part of what made this campaign so powerful is the inclusion of real profiles of those positively impacted by Goodwill’s work. One such example is that of Marcus Wilhite, a Marine Corps veteran who took part in the Southern Oregon Goodwill program designed to help military veterans transition back into a civilian world. According to Wilhite, the Goodwill program helped him identify how to adapt the skills and work ethic he learned in the military to a position with new employers. It wasn’t long before he landed a full-time position.
Accordingly, the Bring Good Home campaign has an important message for shoppers this Christmas: ethical shopping decisions can have a very real impact on very real communities. Amid the onslaught of traditional retail advertising, Goodwill’s authenticity was a breath of fresh air. That’s what makes this new ad campaign something to be thankful for.
