Operation: End ALS
Raising awareness and funds to help veterans living with ALS
The Ask
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain, leading to paralysis and death.
It is 2 times more likely to affect our veterans than the general population.
The Insight
Our military serves with courage and sacrifice, facing dangers that most of us can never comprehend. But what if a threat exists with no protocol? What happens when the price of duty is too high?
The Idea
We created a unique take on the classic “army men” plastic toys as a vehicle to spread the word about how ALS affects our veterans. They visualize symptoms of this disease and serve as a symbol of our collective strength and determination in raising funds to help end ALS.
The Activation
We 3D printed 100 figurines and sent them out to influencers, members of Congress, and news outlets.
Spread on social media, reaching influencers such as Brooke Eby and trending on Reddit
Given to members of the ALS Congressional Caucus, including Ken Calvert, Jason Crow, and Terri Sewell
Featured in media such as Guideline Publications’ Toy Soldier Collector magazine, Lürzer’s Archive, and Fox 8 News
THE RESULTS
- 300,000+ organic views
- Top post of r/3Dprinting on Reddit during Veterans Day, earning more than 140,000 organic views with a 96% upvote ratio
- $50,000 raised to date!
The takeaway:
A small toy soldier can make a huge impact.
