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Powering the next generation of activists

Challenge

How do you engage a new generation of grassroots activists on behalf of a 100-year-old institution that does most of its work behind the scenes?

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Context

Purpose: We the people dare to create a more perfect union.

For nearly 100 years, the ACLU has been our nation's guardian of the freedoms defined in the Constitution. They've played a major role in almost every major social-change movement of the 20th Century.

While highly respected, the ACLU had been losing visibility, and its member base was aging. A new cohort of youth-led grass-roots movements had stepped up to defend rights and liberties. Since the ACLU does much of its work behind the scenes, many young change seekers were not even aware the organization exist. And if they were, they viewed it as a little staid.

We needed to engage this new generation by tapping into their energy and idealism. We needed not to just excite them about the ACLU’s mission, but equip them with tools to take action.

Conversations with ACLU affiliates and young change seekers across the country revealed a powerful truth: while The ACLU’s mission to preserve the protections and guarantees of America’s constitution might seem old-fashioned to some, it is more vital and urgent than ever before — and it's a powerful call to action.

Action

We helped the ACLU inspire and equip the next generation of activists.

We gave them a purpose to guide every single aspect of the organization, including actions, identity, and community.

This purpose inspired a new visual identity that would resonate with a rising generation of activists. We then created ways to activate the purpose and reimagine the ACLU’s relationship with current and new members. This drove loyalty, membership, and donations.

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Impact

We helped the ACLU regain momentum by making them a highly visible force before, during, and after the 2016 election.

1M new members

$79M+ donations in 2017 vs $4M YAG

2000% increase in social followers

84M “People‘s Oath” media impressions

12K community generated events

Our purpose continues to guide everything the ACLU does.

Work

See more examples of how we’ve helped to transform our clients.