A booming senior population. Dwindling federal funds. And a prevailing tendency for donors to put their money elsewhere.
It’s the perfect storm for Meals on Wheels America.
And it means millions of seniors are left waiting—some for months or even years—for nutritious meals and moments of connection.
We had to bring awareness to the issue for the public and Congress, and ultimately raise the dollars needed to help ensure that every senior who needs Meals On Wheels, gets it.
We had to End the Wait.
Americans can’t wait for a website to load. We go full Karen after five minutes in a drivethru. We demand overnight delivery on lipstick. We. Hate. Waiting. Even for really trivial things.
That’s why it’s so ridiculous, so ludicrous, to think of seniors waiting months or even YEARS for the most basic of needs.
We created a five-year platform called End the Wait that doubles as an action-oriented mission statement.
Then we developed a year’s worth of content in a single shoot, capturing a launch video, extra vignettes that would build a holiday version around giving Tuesday, and a variety of other social assets and digital assets. All were designed to get the word out to help raise donations for Meals On Wheels America, as well as encourage people to sign our petition calling on the government to protect funding for seniors programs.
In our launch and holiday videos, we tapped into comparisons of ‘everyday waits’ to help really drive home the experience seniors face. What would our lives be like if waiters, operators, rideshare drivers, dog owners, holiday dinners, or delivery people told us that we had to wait months? The vibes were humorous and a little ridiculous, until we shifted to a silently waiting senior to create that stark contrast and emphasize our message. It’s time to End The Wait for seniors in need – but we need everyone’s help to make that a reality.
Here’s the part you’ve been waiting for—the results.
Our campaign earned nearly 1B impressions, with over 40M views of our video content across a variety of channels. This resulted in thousands of new donations to Meals On Wheels America as well as over 21K signatures of our pledge calling on the government to protect funding for vital senior programs like Meals On Wheels. Major celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Zoey Deschanel, Taylor Tomlinson, Taye Diggs, and more, shared our message, helping to bring people across the country together to show their support for the community and make a commitment to help End The Wait, once and for all.
