Gift Planning
We reimagined the Gift Planning division’s ad campaign by showcasing authentic donor stories and their strong connection to UW–Madison. This initiative featured donor portraits and personal narratives to celebrate philanthropy and inspire legacy giving.
ROLE
Photo Direction and Design Lead
TEAM
Collaborated with the Creative Director, Gift Planning, Communications, and Marketing.
DIVISION
Development
DESIGN PROBLEM
The existing marketing materials for Gift Planning lacked a cohesive visual style and failed to highlight the personal impact of donor contributions. They relied on stock photography and lacked compelling, authentic, personalized visuals and messaging. We needed to create a more engaging narrative that would resonate with the audience and authentically represent donors.
DESIGN SOLUTION
We replaced stock photography with real donor portraits and stories, creating an ad campaign that was bold, personal, and visually consistent with UW branding. This approach extended to all marketing materials, ensuring a unified look and feel across communications. By focusing on authentic stories and the positive impact of donations, we crafted a compelling narrative that truly represented the generosity and spirit of the UW–Madison community.
PHOTO DIRECTION
We used donor portraits to showcase the donors as the heroes of the ad campaign. The photos capture the donors’ personalities, reinforcing the campaign’s personalized and compelling narrative. By choosing black-and-white photos, we maintained consistency with UW’s red, white, and black brand colors. The photos were taken from a low angle with medium contrast to add depth, present our donors in a flattering light, and focus on their expressions, further enhancing the authenticity and impact of the campaign.
AD CAMPAIGN
Our ad campaign for the Gift Planning division features donors’ personal stories and strong connections with UW-Madison. We’ve designed a visually striking and authentic narrative using large black-and-white portraits personalized with their signatures and stories. This cohesive design emphasizes the significance of each donor’s contributions and underscores the impact of their philanthropy and their lasting love for UW.
NEWSLETTERS & BROCHURE
The newsletters and brochures feature images of the UW–Madison campus on their covers. Whitening the skies and using red titles achieved a consistent look with the ad campaign. Incorporating red blocks and photos extending off the page adds a modern touch to the clean, traditional layouts of the brochure pages.
Testimonials
Nicole H., Senior Writer, WFAA
Lynn’s design always gets to the heart of a project. I’ll miss working on projects with Lynn.
Jennifer M., Vice President and Managing Group Leader, Development, WFAA
The Gift Planning ad series is still one of my favorite projects I worked on with Lynn. She had a vision from the beginning, and it came through beautifully in the end product.
Ellen R., Senior Marketing Manager, WFAA
