It’s no secret that charity marketing is different from commercial marketing.
While many businesses are primarily focused on making a profit, non-profit organisations are founded to make a difference. That said, charity marketing can still be extremely effective in inspiring people to take action – as these ten impactful marketing campaigns show!
Each of these campaigns utilised creative and unique strategies to reach their target audience and raise awareness for their cause. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your next charity marketing campaign, then you’ll definitely want to check out these examples.
1. UK Dementia Research Institute – Museum of Memories: Wild and Precious
The charity: The UK Dementia Research Institute is made up of over 750 researchers. Their aim is to make new scientific discoveries to help stop dementia. Learn more about them here: UK DRI
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: The charity created a virtual museum, storing and protecting memories. From being surrounded by butterflies on a wedding day to childhood walks, users can immerse themselves in the 4D memory videos. The campaign is all about teaching women how to recognise the symptoms of dementia and to get talking about it. Check out the website here: Museum of Memories
Campaign rating: 4/5
(Photo Credit: WongDoody and Infosys)
2. Save the Children – Home
The charity: Save the Children works to keep children safe, healthy and learning. They believe that every child should have a future they deserve. Read more about the charity: Save the Children
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: To mark the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Save the Children worked with Aardman to create a short film. The film highlights how refugee children may feel alienated, encouraging other children to welcome them. The film was screened across UK primary schools, inspiring children to add their colour.
Campaign rating: 5/5
(Credit: YouTube: Save the Children)
3. UNICEF – Tommy Fury vs Liam Payne
The charity: UNICEF is a charity that supports children across the world. From fighting malnutrition to providing vaccines, children are supported from a young age. In 2006, Soccer Aid, the world’s biggest celebrity football match, was created to raise money for the charity. Find out more about this here: Soccer Aid
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: In April 2023, Liam Payne and Tommy Fury shared a joint Instagram post. The post contained a teaser which seemed to hint at a boxing match, driving the internet wild. ‘Liam vs Tommy’ was even trending across social media. This was actually an announcement that they would be partaking in Soccer Aid!
Campaign rating: 5/5
(Photo Credit: Soccer Aid)
4. Greenpeace – Turtle Journey
The charity: Greenpeace is an international non-profit organization that focuses on environmentalism and climate change. They often use social media to create stand-out campaigns with a shock factor, to raise awareness of the danger the planet is in. Learn more: Greenpeace
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: In January 2020, Greenpeace partnered with Aardman, the animators behind Wallace and Gromit, to create an animated video called ‘Turtle Journey’, which starred some famous voices including Olivia Coleman and Dame Helen Mirren. Using a mix of humour and emotion, they created a relatable story of a turtle family on their journey home, only to see their house had been demolished. The goal of the campaign was to highlight that six out of seven sea turtle species are threatened due to human activity.
Campaign rating: 3/5
(Credit: YouTube–Greenpeace)
5. WWF – The Ice Bear Project
The charity: WWF’s mission is to create a world where humans and animals can successfully coexist. They aim to transform the future of wildlife, pushing for change. Find out more about the charity here: WWF
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: In 2022, WWF launched a new campaign to raise awareness of melting sea ice due to global warming. Targeting predominantly women between 25 and 34, their Instagram ads gained 68,209 views in the first two days. The creative videography tells the story of a polar bear made out of real ice, who experiences displacement due to global warming, and eventually the destruction of his home. The call to action incites users to ‘Sign Up’ to WWF and join a community of people dedicated to protecting wildlife.
Campaign rating: 3/5
(Photo Credit: WWF UK)
6. Refuge – Background of Support
The charity: Refuge is the UK’s leading domestic support charity and has a dedicated online following, as well as numerous celebrity advocates. They regularly design creative campaigns that tackle the issue of domestic abuse head-on. Get more information: Refuge
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: In 2020, domestic abuse spiked due to lockdown, which prompted Refuge to launch a campaign called ‘Background of Support’. The campaign encouraged people to donate to the charity by sharing a QR code on video calls. This allowed people to show their support for Refuge in an accessible way and also helped to raise awareness of the issue of domestic abuse.
Campaign rating: 2/5
(Photo Credit: Refuge)
7. charity: water – True Colours of Dirty Water
The charity: charity: water is a non-profit organization that provides clean drinking water to people in developing countries. Their marketing campaigns are always creative and engaging, and they often use social media to reach their target audience. With the unique selling point, ‘we’re an open book’, they pride themselves on being 100% transparent about where people’s donations go. Visit the website: charity: water
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: For World Water Day 2022, they launched an innovative campaign to raise awareness about the dirty water crisis called ‘The True Colours of Dirty Water’. On Instagram, different colours of water flashed on screen in a video in which users were invited to screenshot to find their colour. When you clicked through to their website you could go to your colour section and read the stories of people all over the world who have to drink that colour water.
Campaign rating: 3/5
(Photo Credit: charity: water)
8. Teenage Cancer Trust – Not OK
The charity: As well as providing crucial support for young people battling cancer, the Teenage Cancer Trust raises awareness about survivors’ experiences and campaigns for better cancer support services and more funding. Learn more: Teenage Cancer Trust
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: Their #NotOK campaign shed light on the fact that many young people in the UK are facing cancer without the mental health support they need. The campaign was led by a series of video content featuring young people who have been affected by cancer, sharing their experiences. The goal of the campaign was to start a conversation about how cancer affects mental health, and help more young people with cancer get access to the counselling services they need.
Campaign rating: 3/5
(Photo Credit: Teenage Cancer Trust)
9. Women’s Aid – He’s Coming Home
The charity: Women’s Aid’s aim is to end domestic abuse against women and children. Leeds Women’s Aid is our marketing agency’s chosen charity partner, fighting to improve the lives of women in the local area. Find out more: Leeds Women’s Aid
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: The charity’s ‘He’s Coming Home’ campaign was launched at the time of the November 2022 FIFA World Cup. This was to highlight that football can increase the risk of domestic abuse. The charity’s harrowing video pans across a dark street with football chants in the background, before focusing on the house of a domestic abuser. This was shared on television, as well as on social media – using football hashtags to increase reach and shareability.
Campaign rating: 5/5
(Photo Credit: YouTube: Women’s Aid)
10. Crisis – Impossible to Ignore
The charity: Crisis is a charity that aims to end homelessness. They give support and help to homeless people across the UK. Read more about the charity: Crisis
Our marketing agency’s favourite campaign: In December 2022, a huge 4.3-metre tall sculpture was placed outside King’s Cross Station. Face mapping technology was used to combine the faces of seventeen homeless people, making it uber realistic. Research at the time predicted that 300,000 households could be homeless in 2023, a factor that, like the sculpture, couldn’t be ignored any longer.
Campaign rating: 4/5
(Photo Credit: Crisis)
We’ve seen a lot of great digital charity marketing campaigns in the past few years. The best ones have one thing in common: they combine an emotionally engaging story with powerful visuals.
Here at Punch, we’re also passionate about charity work! We’re currently working with our charity partner, Leeds Women’s Aid. Find out about them here: Leeds Women’s Aid