BRANDING | CREATIVE | MARKETING | NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING

Strategy, meet opportunity.

What happens when sharp strategy meets 200,000 loyal alumni?

For two years, the University of Nebraska ran their annual giving day with decent results. But they knew there was more out there—more energy, more engagement, more potential. So they called us.

Together, we rethought the whole thing. We wanted to push their Giving Day to new heights with smarter messaging. Better targeting. Content that didn’t just inform but connected. We knew we could help Nebraska do better.

And it worked.

UNL showed up with a powerful mission. We helped turn up the volume.

STRATEGY AND SOLUTION

Make it personal and make it powerful.

Nebraskans know what it means to show up for each other. Community isn’t just a value—it’s a way of life. 

For UNL, it wasn’t enough to simply ask people to give to a general university fund. They needed to be reminded of the support they received as students—the mentors, the friends, the moments when generosity made all the difference. It was about showing how the university continues to steward that same generosity today. 

So we tapped into a beloved Husker tradition—Glow Big Red—and built a strategy around it. We gave people the chance to give where it mattered most to them, glow their lights red, and share the story of someone who helped them succeed. 

Then we created a messaging strategy that made sure everyone—from campus partners to alumni teams—was aligned. Unified voice. Direct calls to action. A campaign that felt personal, powerful, and easy to rally around.

Once the strategy was locked in, our creative team hit the ground running. We started planning and filming video content designed to capture the energy of a university that’s no stranger to passion and pride. This content had to do more than look good—it needed to hit home. Whether someone was watching from their couch or in the stands at a football, volleyball, or basketball game, the message had to land.

We worked side-by-side with the UNL team to shape the vision, but there’s no substitute for walking campus, meeting students, and feeling the electricity of a Big Ten game day. The final package included teaser trailers, social ads, broadcast-ready cuts, a main launch video, and a wrap-up reel to bring it all home.

Once everything was polished and ready, we passed it off to our marketing team to work their digital magic and bring it to the masses.

Results

From a bold first step to statewide momentum.

From year one, the results spoke for themselves—and they’ve only gotten stronger. 

Since launching the new strategy and working together to produce annual content, UNL has raised a total of $2.69M. In our first year working together, we helped increase giving totals by 148%. At the same time, we helped increased their total number of donors by 211%. 

The strategy worked so well, we didn’t stop at Lincoln. We’ve since teamed up with the University of Nebraska system to support Giving Day campaigns forWe’ve since teamed up with the University of Nebraska system to support Giving Day campaigns for their Omaha, Kearney, UNMC, and Nebraska Medicine campuses, raising a total of $7.54M their Omaha, Kearney, UNMC, and Nebraska Medicine campuses. 

And it’s not just making an impact on campus—team members from Vinyl and the University of Nebraska Foundation frequently present our ground-breaking strategies at annual giving conferences across the country, helping other institutions level up their fundraising game, too 

$2.69M

total raised, including 148% more in our first year together than they raised alone.

211%

increase in the total number of donors over the lifetime of our partnership.

$7.54M

total raised for all University of Nebraska campuses over the lifetime of our partnership.

Let’s get started.

We’re jazzed about the idea of partnering with purpose-driven organizations and people. The first step is getting to know each other and jiving with what wakes you up each morning. Reach out and let’s explore what that looks like.