Client

Rotary Club International is a worldwide non-profit known for selfless community service. The organization is over 100 years old and literally every city in the United States, and most towns, harbor a Rotary chapter. Each chapter performs its own fundraising activities. For example, Rotary Club of San Juan Capistrano, California (RCSJC) partners with a company called Adventure Van Expo (AVE) to hold a two-day event focused on “van life” subculture, and which attracts hundreds of vendors and thousands of fans. 

RCSJC’s role is to secure the venue (a large horseback-riding park in San Juan Capistrano), recruit food trucks and handle parking logistics, grounds cleanup and trash removal. In exchange RCSJC is allotted space to set up a VIP tent and concession stand, and receives half the admission receipts (adults are $20, good for both days). 

This is RCSJC’s most lucrative annual fundraiser. Because attendance determines most of RSJC’s take, the club conducts its own AVE promotion. In the past that consisted of posters at local stores and restaurants and an ad in the town’s weekly newspaper. Not only is the reach extremely limited, the poster and ad designs were neither intriguing, inspiring or attractive. (Rotary isn’t known for paying for professional help, instead it generally relies on donated products and services. I was paid a nominal fee, but I admire the good work Rotary does in my community and so took the assignment.)

Assignment

Last December RSJC asked me to create a social media campaign to generate greater awareness of the San Juan Capistrano AVE event. At the time RCSJC’s social media presence was limited to a dusty FB page with fewer than 40 followers. 

I researched van life and found, no surprise, enthusiasts love road trips, the outdoors and camping. They covet the easy weekend getaways a van allows, relish waking up somewhere remote and beautiful in their compact home on wheels. Van lifers take great pride in their vehicles, particularly how smartly the interior and exterior are configured, how efficiently a van's small space is used, how versatile their accessories and features are, and how comfortable it is to sleep in. Enthusiasts upgrade their vans often, are keenly interested in the latest designs and gadgetry, and respect expert advice. Adventure Van Expo would seem an ideal way to spend a Saturday or Sunday. Finally, I learned van-lifers include men and women of all ages, including those with the disposable income for a pricey ready-made rig and those who take older models and build them out themselves.

Engagement Goal

The engagement goal of our posts and ads was to drive traffic to AVE’s official website, where event tickets are sold.* The strategy was to create two types of visuals. Colorful and kind of artistic, in the vein of a vintage travel poster, to call to mind the romanticism of van life; and straightforward photographic. For all I used Figma. I also created two short video slideshows that tapped into the upbeat atmosphere of a typical AVE (they normally feature live music, excellent food and drink concessions, and a beer garden).

*Attendees could also buy tickets at the gate.