Crisis at Christmas

Agency: upriseUP & Catalyst

Crisis provides vital support to homeless people, with a vision to end homelessness for good. Catalyst and upriseUP were eager to support Crisis with their 2020 Christmas campaign, as the risks of the coronavirus pandemic made supporting homeless people at winter more critical than ever.

Working with Catalyst, who led the strategic direction of the campaign (including development of offline and digital marketing) upriseUP delivered omnichannel digital advertising for Crisis. The campaign exceeded its goals, raising over 6,100,000 in revenue from over 97,000 donations. The revenue from Catalyst and upriseUP's campaign, which utilised paid social, paid search, and programmatic advertising, will change the lives of homeless people across the UK.

Despite the difficult circumstances during the pandemic and the competitive online environment for charities at Christmas, the average gift value of 63 exceeded Crisis target of 43.50 and outshone even 2019's average of 46. CPA was reduced from 18 in 2019 to just 6 in 2020 - well below the target of 19. The campaign achieved a ROAS of 10, up from 3 in 2019.

The success was a result of clear-cut data, which fuelled fast and informed decision-making and adaptability at a crucial time for Crisis and their beneficiaries.