ROCHESTER EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Challenge

Solution

Result

The Rochester Education Foundation (REF) was looking to launch a program aimed at improving literacy among city school students. The biggest challenge however, was the most fundamental – making sure the students had good books to read in the first place. As a result, the REF turned to Antithesis Advertising for help in creating a marketing program aimed at garnering the support of individuals and corporate supporters willing to contribute to the effort.

Antithesis developed a series of high-impact communications that were distributed through the REF’s grass-roots efforts and one-on-one opportunities. The campaign worked to capture the attention of the target through unexpected messaging and the tagline “Give Back. Give Books.”

The response to the campaign has exceeded expectations. Since the launch of the program in 2006, the REF has been able to donate more than 16,000 books to city school students – either directly or through school libraries. Other accomplishments thanks to this program include major contributions to form a listening library for city school secondary English teachers and partnering with the Mayor’s Literacy Initiative in the distribution of 6,000 books.