We all know it’s coming. Every year, nonprofits seek to raise money and engage their supporters on Giving Tuesday. But Shady Side Academy — a prestigious K-12 independent school in Pittsburgh — wanted to step it up. They had been asking for donations because it was the day to do so, but they craved something more: a day the community could show up and rally together.
It was time to give Giving Tuesday the same Shady Side brand treatment that we’ve given to the campus plan website, the magazine, and their summer programs. Let’s go!
Schools who made Giving Tuesday their own were more successful…so Giving BLUEday (inspired by their mascot, Blue the Bulldog) was born. But changing the name wasn’t enough; we needed to rally the community around the school they love. The campaign had an incredible star; how would he engage the audience?
We brainstormed all the things we envisioned Blue doing and saying. It snowballed from there (that’s foreshadowing, keep reading). The ideas got rolling, and while it wasn’t possible to have somebody dress up as Blue to do all of the things we imagined, generative AI helped us bring them to life. While I was making Blue eat a giant ice cream cone, the videography team was creating super-engaging content for social media.
I designed everything else — the logo, email campaigns, animations, graphics for the philanthropy portal, and awareness materials across all four campuses. With every piece in place, we were ready to roll!
Until something unexpected happened…
We woke up on Tuesday morning to several inches of snow and a campus closure. Time to pivot at the last minute! I immediately got to work and designed graphics of Blue dressed in winter gear, ready to play. It brought fun and levity to the snow day, and guess what? It worked.
The first annual Giving BLUEday was a tail-wagging success:
This day of philanthropy became more than just an ask for donations — it turned into a day of fun, celebration and participation. A day people look forward to! What will Blue do next year? Stay tuned to find out.
Small but mighty is what I call my studio, and this extends to client partnerships. The Shady Side team and I had big plans, and by utilizing AI thoughtfully, we were able to go bigger, bolder, and bluer!
When you’re my partner, no matter what comes, I’m in it with you. Because even with exquisite preparation, things don’t always go as planned. If snow shows up, I’ll grab my shovel.
I know great things can happen when passionate, talented people work together.
Contact me to set up a 30-minute, complimentary video call to candidly discuss your needs, and see if our personalities, aesthetics and working-styles align.
