Energy Trust of Oregon Creative Services RFQ
4. Relevant experience working with or creating advertising campaigns to reach consumers and businesses.
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Safe Routes to School Campaign
Description
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) called on Sheepscot to develop a traffic safety campaign aimed at people driving near schools and school routes. Unlike traditional Safe Routes to School communications, this campaign would target speeding and distracted drivers rather than students and parents. And rather than shaming drivers for bad behavior, they wanted to connect audiences around shared values and common desire for community health.
The campaign we developed was informed by an in-depth study of regional driving patterns previously conducted by PBOT and Metro, as well as a set of workshops that we facilitated with stakeholders from schools, public agencies, private businesses and nonprofits. Photo “stickers” overlaid on abstract backgrounds with unexpected color combinations catch the attention of audiences in social news feeds. With unidentifiable streets and intersections, the assets speak to communities from Gresham to Beaverton, Hillsboro to downtown Portland.
We also crafted a full set of social media captions to give schools, districts, cities and counties the building blocks to reach target audiences, with plenty of room to customize to address geographic or timely details.
Phase 1 materials included assets designed for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram posts and stories, email newsletters and even virtual meeting backgrounds. The campaign was developed with accessibility in mind; all of the assets are translated into Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese and Arabic, and every file includes translated alt text embedded for screen readers.
Phase 2 introduced refreshed digital assets, an animated video formatted for Instagram stories, TriMet bus backs and tails, hundreds of lawn signs distributed to each school, and a radio PSA.
The #DriveLikeIt hashtag continues to populate on Facebook and Instagram as the campaign organically spreads across the state. Campaign assets have even been shared from Canby to Connecticut and are available for free download via the Oregon Safe Routes to School website.
The campaign features a bright, colorful palette and an engaging, kid-forward “sticker” design.
Social media templates and the #DriveLikeIt hashtag allow community members and stakeholders to share campaign collateral with their online networks in any of six languages.
Lawn signs with the campaign slogan and branding are posted on busy streets and near school crossings. Signs are available with English on both sides, or with English on one side and a choice of five other languages on the other.
Eye-catching bus backs broadcast the campaign through high-traffic urban areas.
A colorful animated campaign video has been shared widely by major stakeholders, including Oregon Metro.
Work Samples
Metro
Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Awareness
Description
Earlier this spring, Metro’s Housing Department asked Sheepscot to design and produce a campaign and manage the corresponding media buy to increase community awareness of successful investments to increase affordable housing options and supportive housing services across the region.
We met with Metro project leaders to determine the campaign’s core messages, key audiences, and timetable. Next, we reviewed available Metro communication assets related to affordable housing and supportive services; met with Metro project leaders to propose a campaign framework and workflow for corresponding asset production; developed a media buy strategy; created and produced a suite of assets to leverage the media plan’s channels; and launched the media buy. All in eight weeks.
Over the course of the campaign’s four-week run, messaging was read by OPB radio hosts one hundred sixty-three times. An estimated 313,600 people heard the spots an average of 3.4 times each. On Meta properties (Facebook and Instagram), animated display ads drove the most cost-efficient reach, while video ads generated stronger engagement. In all, the digital campaign generated 11,400,000 impressions, 23,900 actions, and 6,400 clicks to a dedicated landing page on Metro’s website.
Diplay and video ads for Facebook and Instagram.
Photographs of the grand opening of Nueva Esperanza in Hillsboro.
Work Samples
Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
Senate Bill 100 50th Anniversary
Description
Since 1973, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) has helped to manage urban growth; protect farm and forest lands, coastal areas and natural resources; and provide for safe, livable communities across Oregon. In 2023, Sheepscot produced a year-long campaign for the Salem-based agency to mark the 50th anniversary of Senate Bill 100, out of which DLCD was born.
The challenge in telling DLCD’s story was to help audiences understand that so much of what they know and appreciate about Oregon has not only survived but thrived thanks to Senate Bill 100. We knew that professional planners would see the campaign, and we wanted it to ring true for them. We also wanted to catch the attention of Oregonians who’d never thought much about land use planning. So we interviewed farmers, ranchers, Tribal leaders, planners and professors. We listened to current and former DLCD staff members, and heard stories from people who were central to the proceedings when Governor McCall signed Senate Bill 100.
Taking inspiration from vintage WPA-style National Parks posters, seven illustrations depict familiar Oregon scenes in an approachable, painterly style. Each is accompanied by a caption that describes the scene through the lens of land use planning.
Campaign illustrations, captions and interview highlights come together in a 2-minute animated video showcasing examples of Senate Bill 100’s impact today around the state.
A story map organizes the illustrations and captions geographically. Short- and long-form audio excerpts from our interviews offer personal perspectives on the impact of Senate Bill 100.
From our interviews, we produced a series of twelve social media packages to facilitate advocacy. Each includes a graphic pullquote, a separate audio excerpt, and a suggested caption. At the DLCD website, partners and advocates can find ready-to-use materials for Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn along with virtual backgrounds and additional campaign assets.
Work Samples
The 50th anniversary logos. One pair calls out Senate Bill 100, the other DLCD.
Seven illustrations depict familiar Oregon scenes in an approachable, painterly style.
Our campaign illustrations, captions and interviews come together in a 2-minute animated video showcasing examples of Senate Bill 100’s impact today around the state.
DLCD embedded all of the anniversary-related content on its wesbite. Elements included a story map that organizes the illustrations and success stories geographically, longform interview transcripts that provide an opportunity for Oregonians to learn more about Senate Bill 100 from statewide experts, and a short video to commemorate the 50th Anniversary celebration in Salem.