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STELARA®: Upping The Ante On Fundraising

By Veronika Dufour, associate copywriter, Draftfcb Chicago

“Hey there! Do you have a minute for gay rights?”
“Hey there! Do you have a minute for the environment?”
 “Hey there! Can I interest you in a Street Wise?”
“Hey there, uh…. maybe on the way out?”
We’ve all been there—dodging the canvassers on Michigan Ave or pretty much any other street in Chicago, for that matter. Simple tricks like wearing headphones and pretending the music’s too loud; that you’re late to work; that you donated yesterday. Maybe you’ve even gone as far as pretending English is not your first language.

Truth is, deep down, we’d like to give our time and money for a good cause, but it just seems like there are so many causes. So many canvassers. So many somebodies wanting something. What if one of those canvassers told you they would donate their time and their talents when you make a donation? That might get you to stop and listen, even for just a minute.
And that’s just what the healthcare team at Draftfcb decided to do. So what’s the cause this time? The team held a silent-auction-fundraiser and donated all proceeds to the National Psoriasis Foundation. What a great way to raise awareness about the STELARA® brand, inform people about psoriasis, and get people involved in a fun and creative way.
Not to mention, everyone got to learn a little bit more about their co-workers by seeing the talents that they contributed to a silent auction. Not only did the talents range in variety, but the bids offered more value and incentive to those individuals who made contributions.
Want to buy a painting, a beer tasting, or some savory homemade BBQ? Want to take a belly-dancing class or be chauffeured to work for a week? Oh, did we mention you’re also donating to NPF for a good cause? By putting the talent first, the money followed. Everyone from the agency and the STELARA® team were great sports. Everyone’s little extra effort went beyond the good old phrase, “It’s for a good cause,” and turned it into, “It’s for a good cause! And you get some cool stuff, too!”
In the end, not all of us may stop and listen to a canvasser in the future, but STELARA® was able to turn an old-fashioned fundraiser into so much more. Well done, STELARA®! Where do I sign?!
Not only did the STELARA® team help raise money for NPF, but they also showed up at 8am for the National Psoriasis Walk where they donated the money. Now that’s some serious dedication!