Swim Marathon | Virtual Fundraising Event Development
Background
WaterAid wanted to create a brand-new virtual fundraising event that could engage supporters during a period when traditional physical events had been disrupted by Covid.
As a charity focused on water, swimming was a natural fit. The opportunity was to build a distinctive presence in the growing virtual challenge event market, attracting both indoor and outdoor swimmers while creating a new income stream for the charity.
The Challenge
Swimming challenges already existed, so the challenge was not simply to create another virtual event. WaterAid needed a proposition that felt unique, memorable and unmistakably connected to their brand.
We were tasked with developing the complete fundraising product, from the event concept and messaging strategy through to naming, creative identity and launch assets.
With a tight deadline before autumn, the campaign needed to move from idea to market quickly while ensuring the event had the clarity and appeal needed to encourage sign-ups.
The Creative Strategy
Successful challenge events start with understanding what motivates people to take part.
We explored different swimmer audiences, their behaviours and what would encourage them to commit to a sponsored challenge. The insight led us to focus on a clear, ambitious but achievable goal: completing a swimming marathon.
That became the foundation of the proposition and the event name:
Swim Marathon
Simple, memorable and instantly understandable, the name created a strong ownership of the challenge while making the fundraising opportunity clear.
From there, we developed the event identity and creative platform, creating a range of routes designed to make the challenge feel exciting, achievable and rewarding. Once the final direction was selected, we produced a complete launch toolkit including social media advertising, animated digital assets, website creative, email banners and a bespoke event logo.
The identity was designed to work across the entire participant journey, from acquisition through to event completion, including use on participant medals to create a lasting connection with the challenge.
Impact
Swim Marathon gave WaterAid a new virtual fundraising product that enabled the charity to continue engaging supporters during a challenging period for live events.
By combining audience insight, proposition development and distinctive event branding, the campaign created a scalable swimming challenge that strengthened WaterAid's presence in the water-based fundraising space.