Catholic Charities,

Diocese of Joliet: Give the Gift of Christmas Campaign

Client: Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet

Project Goal:

To design a beautiful and seamless 24x36” poster promoting the annual "Give the Gift of Christmas" fundraising campaign during the Christmas Concert.

Key Requirements:

  • Create a festive, high-impact design to capture attention at a critical fundraising event.

  • Establish a clear visual hierarchy to guide concert-goers through the donation process.

  • Integrate a QR code as the primary donation mechanism.

  • Deliver print-ready artwork for a large-format 24x36" foam core poster.

Concept & Creative Strategy

Concept: "Festive Action." The strategy focused on balancing warm, appealing holiday graphics with a simple, three-step action plan to maximize immediate concert-goer donations.

The Challenge: Ensuring the design was visually appealing enough for a holiday event while remaining direct and functional as a donation tool.

Visual Execution:

  • Theme/Motif: Utilized the core campaign mechanism ("Choose an ornament, read a snapshot...") and visually represented it with three distinct, colorful ornaments to serve as the visual hook.

  • Color Palette: Employed classic holiday colors (red, green, and white) against a warm, light-bokeh background to create a magical, inviting atmosphere.

  • Call to Action: The three-step process ("Choose an ornament, read a snapshot, and scan...") was placed directly above the large, central QR code to ensure immediate user flow and actionability.

Design Process & Role

  1. Information Hierarchy: Organized the messaging into three main levels: Branding (Logo/Title), Visual Hook (Ornaments), and Actionable Steps (Instruction text & QR code), prioritizing clarity for quick absorption.

  2. Layout Development: Created the layout to ensure the large QR code was centrally placed and highly visible, optimizing the design for a 24x36” portrait format viewable on an easel.

  3. Visual Asset Integration: Created or placed custom graphics (ornaments, background bokeh) that delivered "a little holiday magic" while maintaining clear legibility of all text.

  4. Print Production Handoff: Prepared the final, high-resolution artwork file with proper color profiles for 24x36” foam core poster production, ensuring fidelity on the final large-format material.

Real-World Scale & Impact

The professional 24x36" foam core poster displayed prominently on an easel next to a Christmas tree at the concert venue, successfully guiding attendees to the donation page. The artwork effectively combines the Catholic Charities brand with a strong festive aesthetic and clear, actionable instructions.