Category Archives: CreateAthon

CreateAthon

A Riggs Partners community service program that provides pro bono marketing planning and materials to area nonprofits. There have been two offshoots: the National CreateAthon Network, with agencies across the country participating; and CreateAthon OnCampus, developed for the university setting. Combined gifts: $11 million

posted by Teresa

Sep 28, 2011 @ 11:00am

CreateAthon 2011 Work: A Look at Literacy

We all have the opportunity to learn, and the inability to read only affects a few people in the community. It’s really not my issue.

Overcoming this all-too pervasive insight formed the basis of the brand strategy we developed for Kershaw County Literacy Association during CreateAthon. With a staggering 23% illiteracy rate in this area, KCLA needed to bring the issue to the attention of community leaders in a way that would allow them to understand the truth, consequences and imperatives for action behind illiteracy.

So we set about the time-driven task of creating a brand platform for KCLA that could help the organization speak to the impact of illiteracy in very clear and certain terms. Punctuated by a rallying cry targeting community leaders in local business, civic and faith-based organizations.

An important objective was to align KCLA with the strategic work being done in the Midlands through Literacy 2030. Our work is designed to connect KCLA to this regional initiative, while giving them the opportunity to tell their story in a way that is indigenous to Kershaw County.

After 24+ sleep-deprived hours, we joyfully presented a new identity, brand handbook, and presentation targeting community leaders to Paula Scarborough, chairman of the KCLA board.  While we felt great about the work our team presented, it was the first tear down her cheek that put a night’s worth of madness into perspective and reminded us of the Great CreateAthon Promise:

Good will come of this.

completed brand handbook

KCLA CreateAthon team: Allison Caldwell, Teresa Coles, Kelly Davis, George Fulton, Michael Powelson, Peyton Rowe.

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posted by Julie

Sep 19, 2011 @ 5:19pm

The Unsung Heroes of CreateAthon

As we look in the rearview mirror at CreateAthon 2011, we are compelled to share the many minds and hearts that make all this magic possible. A lively band of volunteers. The schedulers. The planners. The creative brief writers. The production donors. The Tweeters.

the 2011 crazies.

CreateAthon has many heroes and we don’t want any to get lost in the shuffle.

Riggs Partners’ Tom Barr not only built an impressive schedule and project matrix that kept order in sleep-deprived madness; he was a workspace ninja. He shoehorned 33+ volunteers in a space that normally accommodates about half that, and everyone had a desk, chair, Internet, printer and server access. Not to mention a convenience store’s worth of snacks.

the one and only Tom Barr.

The lovely and talented folks at Emulsion Arts saw fit to document the entire experience for us in an amazing video we hope you’ve already seen. And even more jaw-dropping was that they took the CreateAthon modus operandi to heart. They filmed and edited the video during CreateAthon, presenting it to tears and squeals just moments after the last client left the WECO building.

Gettin' that shot.

Our friends at Crowson Stone printing have again kindly donated their services to print the collateral materials developed for CreateAthon clients. It’s simply not possible to thank them enough. They have provided this gift to CreateAthon for ten years. Combined with gifts of paper from Domtar and Wausau paper mills (made possible by Frances Grosse of Mac Papers), this donation makes actual production of CreateAthon materials possible.

With full hearts and tummies we also thank Moe’s Southwest Grill and Yesterday’s Restaurant and Tavern. Their healthy fare helps counteract the over consumption of a vast array of bad food choices made in 24 hours including cookies, doughnuts, Tootsie Roll Pops, sausage biscuits and every kind of potato chip known to man.

Two newcomer volunteers this year made gifts that went above donating their time and talent. Photographer Jeff Amberg donated a bank of imagery for one project. You guessed it: shot, retouched and donated during the day of CreateAthon. Mind Over Matter Films’ William Huang filmed and edited a five-minute video for one CreateAthon client. Miraculously, at some point in the wee small hours of the morning, William also secured an original score for the video from composer Vincent Parrish.

William Huang

As we reflect on the magic that happened and the people who made it all possible, we’re sure there are important folks we are leaving out. We hope you’ll forgive us. We’re extremely humbled and grateful for everyone who lends a hand to make CreateAthon the wonderful experience it is.

Thank you and see you again next year!

 

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posted by Guests

Sep 15, 2011 @ 4:47pm

All Work, But Not Always No Play

Well, CreateAthon 2011 has officially begun. Everyone is busy working on their computers or in meetings, creating incredible things in the short 24-hour deadline. Moe’s has been consumed and everyone has seemed to have had their recharge after about six hours in.

Unfortunately, I was unable to be here bright and early at 8 a.m., because I happen to be a student and had class. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Morgan Tucker and I am a sophomore at the University of South Carolina, majoring in Public Relations. This is my first time ever experiencing CreateAthon, and I am thrilled to be here!

Today, I am an outsider looking in. Not only is this my first time at CreateAthon, but also my first time in a work environment like this. I know this may seem hard to believe with my polished writing skills and high school diploma, but it’s true. Growing up, you always think that a job would be so much work and no fun at all. You thrive on the younger years, wanting more time to play and never grow up to become a boring adult. Today is very exciting to me, yet nerve-racking, because I am able to get a preview of what life post-college will look like. It’s never comfortable to take your next step in life. Your next step is always much tougher than the previous. College has been so much more difficult than high school, and it hasn’t been the least bit comfortable! I know what you’re thinking…poor college student. Trust me, I hear it from my parents all the time.

When I first arrived, everyone was hard at work. My job is to keep up with the social media for the day so I was busy doing that, when the most amazing thing happened…Peyton pulled out her Razor scooter! I quickly jumped up, grabbed my camera, and had to capture this moment.

This was such a refreshing sight to see! You can still have fun and work at the same time! Needless to say, this has given me some relief to my anxiety I have built up over the years.

CreateAthon has been a great experience so far, and I am excited to see what the rest of the day entails!

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posted by Apprentices

Sep 12, 2011 @ 3:32pm

CreateAthon 2011: The Roster.

2011 shirts designed by Maria Fabrizio.

We’ve been counting down for weeks, but it’s finally here: CreateAthon week. This Thursday, we’ll roll up our sleeves, ingest a little too much caffeine, and get creative for ten deserving nonprofits who inspired us this year. As you can see, CreateAthon season is a little like Christmas for some of us.

Here’s the 2011 roster of the nonprofit organizations we selected for CreateAthon this year.

Youth Corps

Vital Connections

Columbia MSA Talent Dividend

Congaree Land Trust

Walker Foundation/SC School for the Deaf and Blind

PASOs

Mental Illness Recovery Center (MIRCI)

Haiti Orphan Foundation

Kershaw County Literacy Association

Memory Matters

Wanna see the magic happen? Follow us on Twitter and stop by the blog. We’ll be dropping in to update during our 24 hours of creative goodness.

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posted by Cathy

Sep 06, 2011 @ 2:26pm

Time to Shine

When you’ve spent years in the creative business, you learn that most ideas – even the best of ideas – peak. Then, in order to keep them relevant, you reinvent. But once in a great while, you develop a gem of an idea with a life bigger than its time.

Fifteen years ago, Teresa Coles and I started CreateAthon simply out of a desire to give back. We joked that we worked in an industry with no redeeming social value – so we put our industry talents to work round the clock for local nonprofits. It was a good idea. It was ahead of its time. And we couldn’t have imagined how it would grow.

Of course, the world has shifted in the last fifteen years. Pretty dramatically, I’d say. From economic downturns to natural disasters to new digital connections, there’s a new attitude of we’re all in this together. The result? The role of nonprofits is more elevated than ever before, because we recognize the need to create good in our world.  The Millennials, the most civic-minded generation America has seen in a long time, are leading the way with their passion, commitment, and willingness to volunteer.

The advertising industry has shifted, too. I’ve watched digital communication repaint the landscapes we were accustomed to, clearing the way for a new spirit of collaboration. It’s an exciting time to work in this business. It’s even more exciting as I’m getting ready to roll up my sleeves for this year’s CreateAthon.

What’s remarkable is not that our little idea grew into a national CreateAthon network providing pro bono marketing to hundreds of deserving nonprofits across the U.S. What’s remarkable is that CreateAthon has become a movement.  In a world that’s embracing powerful movements to impact our communities for good, CreateAthon stands ready to grow faster than we’ve seen yet.

It’s time to shine, baby.

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posted by Teresa

Aug 29, 2011 @ 2:44pm

CreateAthon: An idea that made it.

One of the few things in life I know for sure is this:

An idea is only worth something if it’s executed.

We’re in the idea business, where brainstorming and what-ifs reign supreme. It’s what makes this business fun, and it’s why I still love what I do. But there are two dynamics more powerful than the idea itself:

  1. Making the idea happen.
  2. Making it happen in a big way.

Consider CreateAthon. When Cathy Monetti and I came up with the idea in 1998 to pull an all-nighter for charity, we went straight to the obstacle closet and drug out every possible reason we could never make it happen. When we had beaten all the excuses we could muster into a bloody pulp, we looked at each other and said, “Let’s do it anyway.” So we decided to muscle our way through it, to invest some extra hours after work to see what might happen. To our surprise and delight, CreateAthon was born, thanks to a lot of willing souls who rallied around our crazy little idea.

the very first CreateAthon

While CreateAthon toddled happily along for several years as our firm’s branded community service project, we began to ask ourselves if we were limiting its potential. Should we share the idea with other agencies? With students?  With corporate marketers? What would happen if we (gasp) gave up some control of our idea?

But we did, and in 2002 we threw open the doors and started inviting others to join us in hosting CreateAthon events.  Almost 10 years later, we’ve seen CreateAthon land in more than 75 different agencies, universities, professional clubs, and corporate marketing departments across North America.

What if we had never invested those extra hours? What if we had kept the idea to ourselves? What if we fail to dream big dreams for CreateAthon in the future, and to act on those dreams?

The next time you have an idea, don’t sit on it. Build that idea. Then build it bigger.

 

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posted by Julie

Jul 11, 2011 @ 3:14pm

Create goods for the greater good.

What some now call The Great Recession has tested everything we have as people and as a nation. But there are silver linings to the cloud lingering over our country’s head. There’s an uptick in compassion. There’s a willingness to stick your neck out a bit more than before. A lot less dollars, perhaps, but far more common sense.

An environment like this is where ideas ripen and grow. That’s just what we want for our annual pro-bono all-nighter blitz, CreateAthon. There’s so much good all around us that could do so much more with a little help from a handful of creative folks who can write, design and build communications in their sleep.

What can you do in 24 hours? Give a fresh identity to a group that can’t afford one but deserved it years ago. Create a fundraising presentation that inspires giving or volunteering, or both. Give your creative soul an inspirational charge no 9-5 job can deliver.

CreateAthon has the potential to do incredible things. With you on board, it’s a sure thing. To learn more about becoming a CreateAthon partner agency, visit www.createathon.org today.

Invest 24 hours of your life into something that’ll deliver both personally and professionally. Join the CreateAthon movement.

 

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posted by Julie

Jun 06, 2011 @ 4:40pm

CreateAthon Season Starts to Simmer

Julie Turner works it for charity during CreateAthon '10

It is still months away, but I am already excited. With each day that passes, CreateAthon is one day closer.

CreateAthon is a national nonprofit assistance initiative that was born right here in Columbia, SC. During CreateAthon, partner marketing, advertising and public relations firms provide pro bono marketing services for select nonprofits. I have been lucky enough to cry through a number of presentations to very deserving nonprofits who year after year accomplish so much good with so very little means.

The brainchild of Riggs Partners Cathy Monetti and Teresa Coles, CreateAthon has grown from a lone, local effort into nationwide network of partners. If you’re interested, there’s still time to become a partner or a participating nonprofit.

In the weeks leading up to national CreateAthon week, September 12-16, follow the excitement in real time on the CreateAthon blog and on Facebook.

CreateAthon is an amazing experience and I look forward to volunteering each year. No sleep. No showers. No egos. It’s 24 hours of pure marketing insanity that I wouldn’t miss for anything in the world.

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posted by Kevin

Dec 29, 2010 @ 9:21am

It’s simple.

Marketing a cause should be an easy sell. There’s a problem, and here’s an organization dedicated to solving it. Act now. Yet it’s not that simple.

In fact, simplicity, and a serious lack of it, is often the problem.

Selling a product is often comparatively easy because it’s so tangible. As marketers, we’re even trained to add dimension by assigning brand attributes and emotion to a product. With regard to causes, this is a trap.

We recently completed a project for Columbia’s Gills Creek Watershed Association. The association wanted a modest increase in its $15 memberships. Being a university town, there’s no shortage of conservation-committed individuals in Columbia. So that task at hand seemed easily obtainable, only we had a few obstacles:

  1. People aren’t aware of the organization
  2. People don’t know where Gills Creek is
  3. People don’t understand what a watershed is

Add to that the fact that the association was targeting environmentalists, developers, anglers, scientists and outdoorsmen on a variety of water-related issues from pollution to sediment. In short, there was message entanglement.

Creative team Lauren Bowles and Jason Corbin did a beautiful job simplifying the message to the most relevant common denominator, clean water. They also overcame budget obstacles by producing a poster for area retailers catering to the conservation-committed. Their work reminds me that if your messaging is not brutally simple, even the most worthwhile endeavors can fail.

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posted by Teresa

Dec 15, 2010 @ 8:58pm

CreateAthon: Discovery Impact

We present with joy this post from our beloved Peyton Rowe, associate professor of design at Virginia Commonwealth University, director of CreateAthon onCampus, and Chief Evangelical Officer of CreateAthon. Peyton has just witnessed the CreateAthon-inspired pro bono marathon hosted by our new friends at the Discovery Channel, who came to us earlier this year expressing an interest in using CreateAthon as a model for their own corporate social responsibility initiative called Creating Change. From Peyton:

I have a feeling I’ve been part of change.

I have spent the past two days amongst 200 or so Discovery Communications’ employees who devoted their time and talents to serving 40 nonprofits. I had no expectations of Creating Change when I arrived on Monday other than, “Cool. I’m at Discovery!” so I entered One Discovery Place at 9 a.m. on Tuesday morning with wide eyes and my camera.

What I experienced was the next generation of CreateAthon. I watched as the dedicated people at Discovery Communications, led by Erin Dieterich and Jennifer Button, harnessed the power of a corporation for the benefit of nonprofits. The scope of the event is still hard to take in – workshops, event recommendations, taglines, posters, identities, PSAs, marketing strategies, social media tools – the list goes on. Not only was there some fabulously creative work developed but there was true teaching. These 40 organizations will get the digital designs, plans, presentations in-hand as well as a collection of guidelines on how to implement the ideas. What a gift.

I have been given a gift, too.

I have met some amazing people. I have seen behind the curtain of Discovery and what a great vibe lives here. Everyone I met, particularly Jess, Nikki, Terrell, Jilna, Noha (I hope I spelled everyone’s name correctly), was more than generous, willing to share their ideas and create something for the greater good. It certainly was bigger than even the 65+ people I wrangle at CreateAthon onCampus but it felt accessible. When Erin had food from four local restaurants – food from Madagascar, India, Cuba and Greece – I found a spot at a table and, as always, began conversation. It sure didn’t feel like I was in a building with 1800 employees.

I’m still trying to understand the complexity that is the structure of Discovery Communications – Jen assures me it takes new employees at least two weeks to begin to understand it. But, the energy of the group I worked with and of the event as a whole felt authentic, generous and inviting. As I wandered up and down the eight floors, visiting different areas of the company: Animal Planet, Science Channel, Discovery Communications, Discovery Commerce, Discovery Creative, their own in-house creative team, everyone grinned. I was welcomed by Team One Love when I was more than willing to put together a Keynote presentation for them. They didn’t realize how ready and willing I was to get my hands dirty and give. I didn’t realize that I would be accepted as part of the Discovery clan so easily.

Highlights of the two days have been:

Shadowing John Hendricks, founder of Discovery, as he visited some creative groups brainstorming

Watching the Senior Vice President of Creative Resources, David Shackley, giggle at teasing one of the creative folks while he was getting a massage

Hearing folks’ stories about meeting various talent, including Jilna’s deep connection with the Deadliest Catch captains – they treated her like a daughter

The not one, not two but THREE sweeps through various merchandise closets, storage areas and goodies. Yeah, I’ve got some cool swag.

Hearing one of Discovery’s employees just revel in the excitement of his client; he described her reaction “like a kid on Christmas morning.”

What a remarkable experience it has been.

I did get to remember why I love using design and communications for social good and helping nonprofits do their jobs better. I did get to feel the energy of the collective good and the creative brainpower of professionals using their incredible talents together. I did get to feel the surge of energy, up and down, as I focused on someone other than myself, and something other than paying the bills or meeting the deadline or getting it “right.” I did get to meet new people, help organizations that need it and have a blast while doing it. Best of all, I did get to see the result of CreateAthon’s inspiration.

I sent a message to Teresa and Cathy this morning, right before client presentations began. I think it sums it up best.

I have a quiet moment before presentations start at 12 and I just had to say that it’s pretty amazing to be here and watch Creating Change, CreateAthon’s second cousin twice removed Erin and I have decided, and know that this would NEVER have occurred had it not been for you.

40 nonprofits are getting pro bono work from Discovery Communications employees because of you.

200 Discovery employees are getting to feel what it’s like to use their talents to help nonprofits because of you.

The issues and people served by the 40 nonprofits are getting a louder clearer voice because of you.

As I’ve said before, CreateAthon is at a tipping point.

This is just the beginning.

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