7.68
Campaign ROI
3.69%
Response rate
20%
Over the fundraising target
The Brief
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, focuses on critical missions worldwide, prioritising areas of greatest need throughout the year.
As a leading emergency response NGO, their work is essential – but also costly, making funding crucial.
MSF engaged us in a creative direct mail campaign aimed at existing donors to raise a minimum half a million for trauma care. With the theme ‘Every Second Counts’, we were commissioned to create a visual identity to bring the campaign to life, emphasise the sense of urgency, and drive donations.
The Challenge
Donor fatigue is a growing challenge for humanitarian organisations, particularly in the midst of global financial uncertainty and ongoing cost of living pressures.
Many Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) supporters had already contributed multiple times, leading to a sense of exhaustion and disengagement. Compounding this issue, the next generation of donors is increasingly wary of large, faceless organisations and skeptical of traditional charity narratives.
They reject the emotional appeals and crisis-driven advertising that once spurred action, demanding instead transparency, authenticity, and tangible impact. In such an environment, maintaining engagement requires a fresh, innovative approach – one that acknowledges their concerns while reigniting their sense of purpose and urgency.
It was important to create a campaign that highlighted the people, the immediacy, and the critical nature of the work this organisation does.
The Solution
To convey the urgency and life-saving impact of trauma care, we designed a direct mail campaign with a compelling, trust-building narrative aimed at key donor audiences.
We chose to leverage the first-hand accounts of MSF doctor Javid Abdelmoneim and MSF nurse Hanadi Katerji, both of whom witnessed the devastating realities in Gaza.
The campaign was rooted in the core campaign message: Every second counts: You can buy us vital time. To amplify the sense of urgency, we incorporated visual cues symbolising the passage of time, accentuating the immediate need for action and support.
The Results
The Every Second Counts appeal has raised almost £600,000 and resulted in 130 direct debits being set up with an annual value of more than £41,500. The response rate was 3.69%, delivering a 7.68x ROI.
In additional recognition of the work, MSF used the campaign visuals beyond the direct mail campaign: on other channel creative, including an OOH campaign in Ireland.
