Polar Plunge Challenge 2009

Polar Plunge 2009 Challenge Kit

When Special Olympics South Dakota needed to bolster its awareness and attendance for its annual Polar Plunge fundraising effort, an event that requires participants to jump into the frigid river in winter, I suggested an idea that directly addressed the concept of involvement, a Polar Plunge 2009 Challenge.

Collaborating with Augustana’s PRSSA group, fellow designer, Andrew Osborn (@ajosborn, www.ajosborn.squarespace.com) and social media/marketing whiz, Scott Hale (@sjhalestorm, www.scottjhale.com), a campaign was created around the idea that making the Polar Plunge personally relevant to an individual would increase involvement.

Through guerilla-like tactics, we delivered Polar Plunge 2009 Challenge Kits around town. These kits informed each of our target publics that its rival had issued a Polar Plunge fundraising challenge. The kit included an entry form, a plunger’s guide, fundraising directions, a list of prizes, and my favorite, details on The Golden Plunger, the trophy for each challenge winner.

The truth was, no one had actually issued any challenges (besides our group, of course.) Yet, banks still thought they were being challenged by other banks, schools still faced off against schools, businesses still moved against other businesses. The publics were forced to choose a path: raise money and defend their honor or sit idle and watch their competitors excel. And let’s face it, no one wants to concede victory to a rival.

The result was a self-motivated movement of fundraising and fervor that won a Minnesota PRSA Student Classics award. We had simply planted a seed that grew. Attendance increased by 40%. The groundwork was laid for a lasting annual campaign that featured a new image (above), a social media presence, and potential for statewide growth. This rebranding of the Polar Plunge offered a consistent direction and a much-needed departure from the childish, unorganized efforts of the past: