With You, This is What WashU Can Do.
WashU partnered with Cannonball to launch an ambitious advancement campaign that would rally potential donors around four goals: creating healthier lives, expanding greater access, building flourishing communities and preparing future-ready leaders.
See how Cannonball used these areas of impact to craft a comprehensive, emotionally resonant narrative at events and online.
One Question
The “With You” campaign leads with a big question for potential donors: If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
We knew that every answer could be connected back to the areas of impact. Real proof points demonstrating the strides being made right now at WashU–strides that can truly change the world with donor participation.
Event Activations
We kicked off each campaign event with a bold, though-provoking video that marked the official introduction of “With You” to the WashU community.
It was complimented by several interactive experiences that brought the areas of impact to life, including 3D Holoboxes, a touchscreen wall and an immersive LED room.
Immersive Room
To show how WashU is building flourishing communities, Cannonball created an immersive LED room that transported guests to faraway places where university scholars are leading global change.
The result was a high-touch, high-tech moment that told the story of each environment through a three-minute video accompanied by voiceover from WashU faculty. Guests could dive into the Mississippi River, venture into the Congo Basin, or look out beyond sprawling ice caps in the Arctic Ocean.
River
A 360-view from the depths of the Mississippi River, complete with multiple species of native fish and floral elements like moss and aquatic plants.
Arctic
From the vantage point of an iceberg in the Arctic Ocean, the aurora borealis moves across the night sky.
Congo
As the sun rises in the Congo rainforest, guests can see (and hear) silverback gorillas in the distance.
Holoboxes
At the campaign launch gala, we created several interactive experiences, including 3D Holoboxes. Instead of the traditional speaker lineup, we invited guests to engage with holograms featuring compelling presentations on the areas of impact from students and faculty. Cannonball scripted, filmed and produced the video content for all six speakers.
Touchscreen Wall
To show the real-life impact of scholarship giving, we created a touchscreen video wall where guests could hear directly from students who were able to attend WashU because of donor-funded programs.
Optimizing
Large-Scale Venues
WashU hosted campaign kickoff events in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago and St. Louis. Cannonball scaled the event activations and supporting creative to fit each unique venue, from the Chase Center—which boasts 64 video boards, including the largest jumbotron in the NBA—to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where eye-catching visuals were projected across dramatic arches and domes in the Great Hall.
How it Came
to Life Online
Cannonball developed two campaign websites that extended the experience online, gathering real-time responses from alumni and donors worldwide.
In the months before the first event, we launched a Save the Date microsite with a campaign teaser video, event details and an RSVP form.
Cannonball then built a dedicated “With You” website that would go live during the St. Louis kickoff. This invited WashU’s far-reaching community to join the campaign and submit their own answers to the “one thing” question.
