Ross Creative Works is excited to announce that along with our partner, West Suburban Community Pantry, we have won first place in the Tempo awards for the “Virtual Food Pantry Launch Campaign” we created.

This unique program launch needed an innovative approach. Our team designed and developed the Virtual Food Pantry to better engage with the community, while simplifying and expediating the assistance for people in need. The messaging was colorful, creative, and easy to understand. The success of this project greatly exceeded our wildest expectations. We’re thrilled that the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing recognized the work we’d done and awarded us first place in the non-profit category.

“The simple, colorful, graphics and to-the-point copy spoke to people when it mattered most,” says Lisa Spaeth, Director of Development for West Suburban Community Pantry. “In devising the campaign, we put ourselves in our customer’s shoes, considering when and where we delivered the messaging. We are proud to receive this award alongside Ross Creative Works, valued community partners and friends of the Pantry. Their design work and ability to push out the campaign in ways that best served our customers has resulted in an extremely successful launch for this new program.”

The Virtual Food Pantry makes it easy for people facing challenges to order groceries from their phone or mobile device and pick them up at a convenient time and place. To get the word out about this new service, we worked with WSCP to develop tactics to reach the following audiences:

• Community partners that could help get the word out to their audiences, such as schools, service organizations, and social services agencies
• Volunteers and staff members of the Pantry itself
• The community at large

The individual pieces were created as bright and cheerful illustrations to make the message feel very similar to a service, like Instacart. The design and messaging were meant to help a vulnerable group of people feel empowered, allowing them to choose how and when they interact with the Pantry. It was equally important to emphasize the ease-of-use and importance of privacy when talking about this service. It’s not just the fact that online grocery shopping at the food pantry is faster and easier – it also feels less intimidating. For many individuals, it’s tough to admit you need help. The additional discretion that the Virtual Food Pantry offers gives them an added level of comfort.

Every day, WSCP is moving closer to the vision of a community without hunger thanks to the support of individuals, businesses and organizations. Visit www.wscpantry.org to learn more.