How Do You Communicate The Devastation Of A Hurricane?

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most devastating hurricanes to ever hit the shores of the United States. So when the Red Cross approached us to help raise money for their hurricane relief efforts, I was extremely moved by the chance to help make a difference in the lives of others. With a very small budget to execute against, I knew we needed to think of an innovative way to communicate the widespread devastation.

The idea? Instead of showing pictures of the aftermath, I wanted to illustrate just how high the storm surge crested in the impact zone. This simple concept brought the idea of the devastation to communities across the region by communicating just how high the water rose. And it wasn’t just an effective OOH campaign. We were able to get businesses to place posters in their windows to help tell the story.

In the end, the work raised record levels of donations in the areas where our idea was executed. It was even repurposed for use after other hurricanes for years to come. And the work wasn’t just a fund-raising success, it also received organic press which drove additional donation support. The idea even received recognition in award shows like The One Show, The National Addys and many others.