• by Larissa Faw , March 22, 2018

For the first time, Meals on Wheels America is focusing recruitment campaign messaging on the rewards volunteers receive from their involvement as opposed to how the program benefits seniors.

Developed with the Ad Council and Anomaly (working pro bono), "America, Let's Do Lunch" illustrates the bond that develops between the volunteers and home-bound seniors. Four volunteers (not actors) are featured in the PSAs showing the impact of their deliveries. 

The work can be seen here and here.

The PSAs run on TV, radio, print, out-of-home and digital, all airing in donated time and space per the Ad Council’s model. This campaign has secured over $50 million of donated media and formed partnerships with outlets like Upworthy, Facebook and The New York Times, and talent including Baddiewinkle and Meghan Camarena.

In addition, the campaign is partnering with companies, organizations and media outlets, including HowStuffWorks and its “Stuff You Should Know” podcast, and the campaign’s official rideshare partner, Uber, to use their own respective platforms to increase volunteer enrollment. 

Social media outreach will tap actor Richard Gere and social content creators Kevin & Lil, the Vaga Brothers and Advanced Style's Ari Seth Cohen to serve as brand ambassadors by sharing original content on their channels that discusses the importance of volunteering for Meals on Wheels, and encouraging their audiences to do the same.

This creative serves as the next phase of the campaign that launched a few years ago. In just over a year and a half, the initiative has already attracted nearly 100,000 new volunteers to sign up.