When the Arthritis Foundation celebrated its 75th anniversary in May, it did so by coloring America with a certain shade of green.
At the heart of the We Journey Together campaign, an integrated creative, social media, marketing and public relations effort, was an OOH effort on a grand scale.
As part of a collaboration with PR agency Mower, more than 50 iconic buildings, monuments and landmarks across 22 states were illuminated in the organization’s signature light green.
Participating structures included the city halls of Boston and San Francisco, the Willis Tower in Chicago as well as the King and Queen Buildings in Atlanta. For Sabrina Sexton, SVP of marketing and communications at the Arthritis Foundation, the illumination of Niagara Falls was a highlight and she also gave a special shout-out to The Egg in Albany, New York.
“The photos are incredible; the whole downtown was lit up green and it was an incredible sight to see all these buildings in such a concentrated area bright green. They did a great job,” Sexton said.
We Journey Together’s visibility matched one of its central messages — the number of people living with arthritis is enormous, with 60 million Americans having been diagnosed with the disease. That’s the equivalent of one in four adults and the number jumps even higher when looking at all adults who have symptoms of arthritis, which is estimated to total between 90 and 100 million.
“The landmark light up worked well for a couple of reasons,” Sexton said. “One is that the whole concept of the We Journey Together campaign and the message our strategy is focused on this year is showing the arthritis community that they are not alone. There are people just like them in communities all over the country. Also, we wanted to literally shine a light on arthritis, our cause and this community.”
The landmarks program, along with the local media coverage that accompanied it, resulted in more than 350.7 million media impressions and a 50% increase in website traffic. Visitors who go to arthritis.org will find a site rich in educational resources.
Topics range from how to better manage the disease to information for parents about juvenile arthritis—some 300,000 children live with arthritis in the United States—including how to talk to teachers and plan for back to school. One of the foundation’s major efforts over the last year was to make all of its content available on a Spanish-language mirror of the site, something that remains the exception rather than the rule among disease awareness sites.
In the decades since it was established in 1948, the Arthritis Foundation has conducted a litany of public-facing campaigns. What distinguishes this latest one, according to Sexton, is its decision to center on the work of the organization itself.
“What past Arthritis Foundation campaigns have done is focus on growing awareness of the disease and educating people about different types of arthritis and the importance of movement to help manage it,” she said. “Whereas this campaign is focused on growing awareness of the Arthritis Foundation, the fact that we’ve been making all this great progress for 75 years and that we’re here for the arthritis community.”
Among the organization’s activities that she hopes the current campaign will shine a light on is its advocacy efforts. While its podcast and other resources to help people live with arthritis are well known, there is another side to the foundation she wants the public to recognize.
“We have an incredibly strong advocacy team as well as an army of volunteer advocates who are doing the hard work of fighting for policy change and legislation,” Sexton explained. “Their work will make an impact not only for people who are living with arthritis, but also for people who are living with a number of different chronic conditions. They make it easier and more affordable to access healthcare while also eliminating some of the barriers that stand in the way of people getting the care they need.”
The landmarks may no longer be illuminated following the campaign’s run but Sexton hopes the spirit of that moment will continue to shine brightly as the foundation enters its next 75 years.
“No matter what your relationship is to arthritis, whether you’re a patient or a caregiver, you’re a partner with a stake in the cause and you are not alone,” she said. “You’re surrounded by people who are part of this community and we want all of them to know that the Arthritis Foundation is here for every single one of them.”
