In 2013 The Greater Twin Cities United Way raised a record $92.8 million for its corporate giving campaign. ABdigital had a hand in things. Literally. 

From the Cover Story in the Star Tribune:

“The old model of raising money for charity, where a couple of dozen CEOs met with the United Way chief at the Minneapolis Club to raise the bulk of the annual take over a few days in the fall, has passed.

New initiatives include United Way’s “emerging leaders” program designed to engage young professionals; a women’s leadership forum; employee groups engaged in year-round volunteer projects at targeted programs and United Way-sponsored social events to attract fledgling philanthropists.

But the most visible change may be the new ad campaign. The old spots created by Campbell Mithun featured individual contributors and connected them, for example, to the “834 at-risk preschoolers” they funded or the “23 cars” that were repaired to transport working-poor moms to jobs.

Minneapolis ad agency ABdigital this fall gave United Way’s “helping hand” a manicure, with a campaign targeting a online savvy audience. The message seeks to transcend the differences between the city and the suburbs, Democrats and Republicans, even blondes and brunettes.

From the Star Tribune

The campaign seeks to attract divided groups, whether liberal or conservative, even Vikings and Packers fans, and particularly young people, who tend to volunteer more and give a lower percentage of income than older folks, according to Chris Birt, chief creative officer of ABdigital.”

– Neal St. Anthony has been a Star Tribune business reporter since 2003