United Way of London & Middlesex’s 2009/10 campaign concluded this afternoon with a successful announcement that the donation goal was exceeded. An accomplishment of generosity from our community.

This gives me a bit of pause to reflect on my involvement developing the campaign branding and marketing during my time working as United Way’s communications coordinator. The work I was proud to develop for this past campaign will always be a career highlight.

Actually, proud isn’t the right word at all. The personal significance of my involvement with the campaign branding wasn’t the work itself; but rather the experience of discovering the marketing stories and the people behind them. I was inspired by the three story subjects, and deeply touched as I worked with them to nurture their stories into powerful messages to share with the public.

In the posters above are Colton, Bernardine and John. You can learn more about them through the campaign brochure (462kb .pdf download) or meet them through the campaign video.

Each of them are individuals from the community whose lives have literally been transformed from periods of challenge to great success. But none had previous experience being in the public spotlight… so in working with them I was actually able to be a part of another transformation.

I worked over several months to learn and write the stories of how each of these three amazing individuals’ lives changed for the better. Each of them was also developed into confident public personalities: I arranged their first-ever studio photo and video shoot and coached them in public speaking. Soon, they were ready to stand in front of their community as the public faces of United Way.

Not only was I very touched to see their stories develop into messaging that inspired the public… but we were all moved to witness how much Colton, Bernardine and John also gained from the experience. John sent me several emails over the course of the campaign telling me of the thrilling experiences he had speaking to the public on behalf of United Way. The audience was gaining inspiration by hearing his personal story… and yet John kept on saying: “thank you for this opportunity… this has changed my life… this is really my passion.” John is going on to a clear path of public speaking: his employer TD Canada Trust has invited him to speak to national audiences and profiled to his journey as the public face of United Way.

The three story subjects gave a lot to United Way to create a powerful and inspiring branding campaign… but the transformation they all experienced as we worked together on building the campaign has touched my life forever. It’s really the finest type of branding: truly inspiring stories of people’s lives who have changed. And the fact that their lives changed again through their involvement in the marketing project is the finest legacy I could ever wish for any communications work.

This project was hugely supported by the creative agency I worked with, Vivid Communications who developed the visual identity and campaign video, Jackie Nobel who took the beautiful portraits, and my former colleagues Nathalie and Johanna who continued telling these amazing stories to the public after I moved on to my current employment.