Special Olympics Virginia promotion makes a huge splash —
for very little cash.

When 93 Octane was asked to promote Special Olympics Virginia’s Polar Plunge, we knew we would be working with limited budgets. But that didn’t mean they’d get stuck with a low impact campaign. Instead, we designed a series of high-impact materials which used humor, strategy, and innovative formats to bust through the clutter.

It started with a streamlined and retooled website, which now boasts a countdown clock and event banner ads to create a sense of urgency. But the real excitement came from the humor used to arrest viewer’s attention.

The same strategy was employed by the direct mail, which included a two-part magnet. The center punched out to leave an outer frame — a perfect way to encourage people to picture themselves at this year’s event and a great way to give the promotion more shelf life.

A cost-effective HTML email campaign allowed sponsor companies to drum up support among their employees for mere pennies, and donated mobile advertising space gave Special Olympics Virginia a blast of awareness without the accompanying bills.

Update: Special Olympics Virginia raised $1 million dollars for the first time in the event’s 19 year history. It’s president, Rick Jeffery, proclaimed: “Your support is the inspiration that drives our positive momentum and keeps us going strong despite current economic challenges.” Aw shucks, we’re blushing.