Missing Peace

Dalai Lama Foundation

In support of the Dalai Lama Foundation’s “Missing Peace” International Art Exhibit, the Collaborative developed a set of youth engagement activities that were introduced in cities across the world.

“A job well done. Thank you so much for the work you’ve done to help us design and deliver this beautiful youth educational piece of the exhibit.”
— Jim Schuyler, Chief Technical Officer, Dalai Lama Foundation

USA Free for All Campaign

George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom

In support of the George Washington Institute for Religions Freedom, the Collaborative created and is supporting the rollout of “USA Free for All,” a nationwide “Teen-Focused Campaign for an Inclusive America.” Tactics include paid advertising, earned media through celebrity endorsements and events, and dissemination of digital and print materials through national partners.

The project is currently convening nonprofit co-sponsors to help implement the campaign, including YMCAs; Boys and Girls Clubs; community centers; public, private, and religious schools; synagogues; mosques and churches.

youMove Massachusetts Communications Campaign

Massachusetts Department of Transportation

The Collaborative designed and implemented a communications campaign in support of a major Massachusetts statewide transportation planning initiative. This included the creation of the project brand identity “youMove Massachusetts,” designed collateral print and digital products, developing and hosting a well-received website, and organizing public meetings around the state. The website incorporated an interactive survey and mapping tool that enabled users to post location-specific public comments.

Public Affairs and Communications Services

City of Sandy Springs, Georgia

Between 2011-19, the Collaborative managed the Public Affairs and Communications Department for the City of Sandy Springs, GA, a city of approximately 110,000 in the Atlanta area.

Staff developed a branding and marketing strategy for the City. This included identifying target audiences, developing a positioning statement, and creating the tagline: “One Big Idea, One Better City.” The firm redesigned the City’s website, created collateral print products, and developed and implemented tactics for using the internet and social media for effectively communicating with residents, businesses, and the media. Staff regularly wrote press releases and organized media events. Special initiatives included developing a communications campaign supporting the launch of the city’s new $300M city center “City Springs” that included a new 1,000-person performing art center, city hall, housing, retail and new central park. Activities included designing bus raps, paid ads, street banners, internal signage, and digital social media. Evidence of the campaign’s success includes tickets purchased for 90% booked performances (until Covid), and attendance averaging in the thousands for outdoor concerts and events.

“The Collaborative provides thoughtful, creative thinking as it assists the city in developing communications programs for our city center and the entire community.”
— Eva Galambos, Former Mayor of Sandy Springs

Protecting the Oceans Communications Campaign

Massachusetts Bays Program

The Collaborative designed and led a multi-year public outreach and information campaigns in support of the Massachusetts Bays Program. With the goal of raising awareness and building partnerships to improve the quality of coastal New England waters, the campaigns included the design and distribution of a wide range of informational materials, organization of public and roundtable meetings, production of television and radio public service announcements, design of a wallet-sized clean water shopping guide distributed with over 150,000 water bills, hotline operation, beach and waterway clean ups, letter-writing campaign, broad press coverage of “Walk for Clean Water” event, design of a “Clean Water Game” video and collateral brochure, and a coalition-building campaign that resulted in a $5M grant from U.S. EPA for water pollution control.

“We’ve come to expect your flashes of inspiration, exciting new ideas and approaches, and well-written documents.”
— Jay Kaufman, State Representative, Former Chair, Massachusetts Bays Program CAC

Boston Recycling Communications Campaign

City of Boston, MA

The Collaborative created and led an integrated communication campaign to launch the City of Boston’s Recycling Program. Campaign tactics grew out of the firm’s marketing plan that identified target audiences. Based on this information, staff designed and executed a two-year campaign to raise awareness and encourage the public to recycle. Plan elements included logo and collateral design, messaging, direct mail campaign, paid advertising, radio spots, special events, A-frame signs in neighborhood shopping centers, in-school “Conservation Clown” program, and MBTA bus and subway ads. Within the first year, the participation rate rose to 15% and has continued to rise to 25%.

As noted by Joe Casazza, Former Boston Department of Public Works Director, “Your work made a big difference in getting residents of Boston to recycle. Thank you.”

Got Water? Campaign

LCROSS Mission, NASA

Challenge: NASA was flying to the Moon to search for water and wanted the public to know about it.

Solution: The two-year Got Water? campaign reached national and international media. David Letterman and Leno included the story in their opening monologues. Facebook and Twitter followers were in the tens of thousands. Young people and general public participated in hands-on and virtual educational activities around the country.

Results: The mission was one of the most widely followed missions in NASA’s history. In the history of the Web, it was the 5th most watched live internet event ever. The old view that the moon is a dry, desolate place no longer holds water. NASA discovered 24 gallons there. Now scientists think water makes up 5% of the surface of lunar craters. And the Collaborative is now working on a communications campaign called ‘New Moon.’