Background
Although one in four children in Jacksonville, Florida struggles with hunger, we found the local awareness about food insecurity issues was drastically low. Most of the community was unaware of the hunger struggles going on right in their backyard. Collaborating with Feeding Northeast Florida, our goals were to raise awareness about these local food insecurity and food desert struggles and to encourage people to donate $10 to provide 100 meals to help those in need. To truly inspire people and garner a physical reaction, we created an immersive large-scale interactive installation and floor-to-ceiling sculpture. As a pro-bono project, our agency donated all of our agency time and materials (approximately $100,000) and worked with community partners to leverage donated space and media. The exhibit was up for the duration of the 2016 holiday season.
Creative Idea
“100 Plates” is an interactive exhibition intended to raise awareness of the hunger problem in our community. Most people view hunger as a third world problem when – in reality – hunger occurs not only in America, but right here in Jacksonville. For just $1, Feeding Northeast Florida can provide 10 meals for a family in need, therefore a donation of $10 could provide 100 meals, or “100 Plates,” enough to feed a family of four for a month. $10 is an easy donation and 100 meals became our compelling hook. We wanted to design a campaign that defied expectations and would stand out from other organizations seeking support at that time of year. The exhibition transported viewers to an environment where they were forced to make the tough choices many in our community face. These decisions engaged and informed viewers while encouraging them to take action.
Strategy
We launched “100 Plates” during the December Art Walk in downtown Jacksonville with a public art and interactive storytelling installation housed in the lobby of a main venue frequented by our target audience – professionals involved or interested in local issues. The tactile hanging plates, wood panels, and light projections transformed the space into an area of discovery and learning, allowing the audience to explore and educate themselves on the issue before giving. In the installation space, there was also an iPad station with direct access to the online donation portal to help capture donations while it was top of mind. Leading up to and during the event, we released a series of social media posts and emails, encouraging the community to visit the installation, reinforcing the issue of food insecurity, and requesting donations to Feeding Northeast Florida. The exhibition was featured in radio, television, and news stories.
