A new campaign from ad agency Blue Chip for non-profit Goodwill Industries is designed to showcase how donations to its thrift stores fund career development and job training, services that are also part of the organization’s mission. Last year Goodwill helped more than 1.7 million people through career navigation, digital and trade skills, reentry programs, adult education, on-the-job training, and more. 

The lead TV spot, “Last Day—First Day,” illustrates the cycle of a donation by juxtaposing a young man donating his turntable from college, with the first day of a young woman’s new career in IT, and the packing up of a woman’s childhood tea collection with another woman’s first day of management training at Goodwill.  

The main idea: Show “purposeful repurposers” – primarily women 25 to 60 – a compelling reason to give new life to their old memories.  

“We want our customers to understand that the Goodwill down the street from them is not just a convenient place to donate things they no longer use,” said Onney Crawley, Chief Marketing Officer at Goodwill Industries International. “Rather, donations that are sold at Goodwill stores help fund life-changing career training and placement programs for people who have faced unthinkable hardships and just want a fair shot.” 

Goodwill and Blue Chip tested TV creative at NBC Media Center, a consumer research facility located at Universal Studios Florida. Brian Kennedy, four-time Grammy award-winner, music producer, and Founder of Hits to Healing, created the score for the “Last Day, First Day” ad. Some of Kennedy’s credits include chart-topping hits for such artists as Rihanna, Kelly Clarkston, Jennifer Hudson and Rascal Flatts. 

The campaign also features new print advertisements, showcasing inspirational stories from a diverse range of people who have accessed Goodwill services, paired with real donations from Goodwill stores across the country that made stories like theirs possible.  

After viewing the print ads, 77% of donors were more interested in donating their goods to Goodwill and 69% were more interested in shopping at Goodwill stores. Similarly, 76% of thrifters were more interested in shopping at Goodwill stores and 78% were more interested in donating their goods to Goodwill. 

The spots will run through mid-September on Meta, TikTok, and through the end of 2024 on select network and cable stations. Programmatic display ads will run simultaneously across a range of online sites.  

The campaign also features a storytelling microsite with stories of more than 30 individuals who have found a better future through Goodwill-sponsored education and job training programs.