Cause Marketing

Share Our Strength reports that its one-day ‘Dine Out No Kid Hungry’ campaign at a number of the nation’s restaurants on Sept. 8, 2012 generated more than $5 million, more than twice last year’s total. Regular readers know that I like to report the results of campaigns when they’re available. No Kid Hungry is year-round anti-child hunger effort that concentrates on improving access to existing childhood nutrition programs, educating low-income families on how to stretch their food dollars, and raising public awareness on the issue of child hunger. Dine Out No Kid Hungry was a one-day effort at 292 restaurants across the spectrum and representing 8,200 locations nationwide. Notable chains included Arby’s, Bruegger’s Bagels, Denny’s, Fuddruckers, Corner Bakery Café, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and others. By itself, the Arby’s chain generated $2.5 million for the effort. I remember Arby’s activated its sponsorship in its weekly fliers , see at left. Share Our Strength activated the campa...

Look at the illustration on the left. Now read the copy. Now back to the illustration. Now read the copy. Sadly, the illustration doesn't really illustrate the copy, does it? I'm not a graphic designer or an art director. So I'm at a loss to explain the graphic design for a cause marketing campaign that was being promoted with table toppers at a Corner Bakery in Denver last week. Here's the campaign: When you buy a BBLT or a Chilled Berry Almond Swiss Oatmeal at Corner Bakery, they'll donate a "portion of the proceeds" to community gardens in the form of a grant. There's just such a garden about a block and half from where I saw this table topper, although I don't know if it's targeted to receive a Corner Bakery grant or not. I guess I sorta get the tomato plant changing hands. Although why you'd transplant it with a green tomato on I can't imagine. But where's the illustration of the BBLT and the Chilled Berry Almond Swiss Oatmeal...