Special Olympics Illinois: So I Did Campaign
Client: Special Olympics Illinois | Role: Creative Director, Designer, Video Editor
Special Olympics Illinois is about so much more than sports. When this larger-than-life organization approached us, we knew our mission — to create a campaign that speaks to all members of this vibrant and incredible community, from athletes to volunteers and beyond.
Once the campaign was built, we worked to bring all Special Olympics Illinois (SOILL) touchpoints in line to create a recognizable brand and rallying cry.
The message
The first step to building the brand campaign was to create a North Star for the organization. During the initial brainstorm, I kept returning to “So I”, as in Special Olympics Illinois, or SOILL. Inspired by T.E. Lawrence’s “All Men Dream, But Not Equally” passage, I distilled the language down into a singular, flexible phrase: “So I did.”
Brand Application
Taking inspiration from the key messaging, I developed a visual identity that evoked feelings of newspaper headlines, graffiti, and historical documentaries. Through bold typography, we capture the viewers attention and cap it with the phrase, “so I did.” in a handwritten typeface to overlay and contrast.
While we retained the black, white, and red brand color palette, we opted for one of the brand’s secondary, darker shades of red to increase legibility and ensure some visual separation between the campaign and the brand.
Brand Ambassador
When it came time to find a voice to help get the message out there, we chose Chicago Bears Tight End Cole Kmet for his recognition and history of philanthropy.
To announce his partnership with SOILL, we created display ads, in-stadium television ads, and out-of-home ads. To kick things off, we brought together a team of Special Olympics Illinois athletes with Cole to do a photo shoot promoting his involvement with the organization.
Conclusion
Working on this campaign has been the highlight of my career. Seeing the SOILL community embrace “so I did.” and apply it to fan-made shirts and use it in keynote speeches has been incredible.
While so much of the impact of this campaign is truly immeasurable, here are a few key outcomes:
Increased registration for athletes and volunteers
Increased attendance to their sporting and fundraising events YoY
Exceeded donation goals for 2023
Reached 1.7 million views on YouTube with original brand film