The Terry Fox Foundation faced its own declines in annual donations and general awareness. It too needed to modernize its approach. How long could the nostalgia of one man last? That question was posed by Grip Limited when the foundation was looking to connect with those (from young Canadians to new immigrants) who might not be aware of Terry Fox and his legacy. The answer lay in redefining Fox’s heroic achievement through a social media lens.

The team used archival footage to juxtapose the shallow nature of social, creating the “Millions of Followers” campaign that included ads showing how Fox had “0 likes, 0 posts, 0 shares – but millions of followers.” The organization contextualized Fox’s story for a younger generation through media they’re familiar with. It also developed a digital billboard, where Canadians could tap their card or mobile device to donate to its cause. With each donation, the billboard updated in real time, showing a digital avatar of Fox moving along his historical route.

In an ironic twist, the social-critiquing campaign (which won a Silver in Turnaround Strategy) blew up online, receiving more than 400,000 views in the first 48 hours, while online donations increased by 45%.