Communication designer
Art director
Creative strategy
Creative direction
Visual identity
social storytelling
The Problem
Why this campaign needed a rethink:
Research imagery often feels clinical, cold, and disconnected. Even when tied to real lives, it can become intangible creating a barrier between donors and the work they’re supporting.
The Insight
Behind every breakthrough is a person with a story. For researchers, the work is personal shaped by the people they've loved, lost, or fought for.
This leads to the creative hook: Because it’s personal.
Key pain points:
Too sterile
Hard to relate to
Lacked emotional immediacy
Needed warmth + science credibility
Campaign Build-Up (Timeline)
The Giving Day build-up relied heavily on social content, where I produced a series of research-focused videos to educate audiences ahead of the fundraising push.
I created short-form videos for social platforms where each researcher explains:
their area of research,
the impact of their work,
and why their research matters for future breakthroughs.
These helped build understanding and trust before donors were asked to give.
Social ads
To lead into Cancer Research Giving Day, I created a suite of social-first ads that combined research visuals, human context, and a strong match-offer message. While the overarching concept was “Because it’s personal,” the live campaign prioritised the donor incentive: “Every donation doubled today.” (shown further below)
Outcomes & Impact
Exceeded Fundraising Target
The campaign raised $593K, surpassing the original $500K goal, a strong indicator that a more human, emotionally grounded approach inspired donors to take action.
Recognition
Awarded “Fundraiser of the Month” by Funraisin, acknowledging the campaign’s creativity, strategy, and performance across the platform.
High Engagement on Storytelling Content
Storytelling carousels featuring researchers’ personal motivations outperformed all other content themes, reinforcing that human-driven narratives are highly effective in research fundraising..