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Using Current Events to Create a Buzz About Your Issue
Despite the economic woes plaguing the nation in 2008, there are organizations that have seized an opportunity to get people talking about their issue: the future direction of the economy. They have even used their creative message to raise money for nonprofits.
On October 29, the 79th anniversary of the Black Tuesday that helped cause the Great Depression of 1929, artists Nora Ligorna and Marshall Reese created a giant ice sculpture in front of the New York Supreme Courthouse in Foley Square, near the center of Wall Street. The sculpture featured large ice blocks carved into individual letters spelling the word "Economy". Ligorana and Reese are artists cleverly manipulating new and old forms of media to investigate, "The impact of technology on culture and the associations and meanings that the media brings to images, language and speech in politics."
The temporary piece, titled "Main Street Meltdown", was 15 feet long, 5 feet tall and weighs almost 1,500 pounds.
Earlier in the year, the artists had created similar pieces at the Democratic and Republican national conventions. Visitors to both conventions may have seen ice sculptures of the word "Democracy" slowly melt in the midday sun in Denver and St. Paul.
"What we like about these sculptures is that they are very popular in the best sense of the word, people love to touch them, but in the shape of a word, to see them meltdown and vanish, they take on a completely different meaning," Reese said.
Ligorano added, "This sculpture metaphorically captures the results of unregulated markets on the U.S. economy. To see the word "economy" melting down is representational of an extreme time."
Photos of the sculpture melting and visitors' reactions of the ice sculpture are available at the artists' blog.
Another group taking advantage of the recent economic collapse as a time to make a statement and raise some money is Jist Enterprises LLC. They are selling a "The Wall Street Coffin" to "Memorialize those firms that have made Wall Street what it is today."
Each miniature wooden coffin is 6 1/2" long x 2 1/4" high x 2 1/4" wide, filled with "authentic shredded U.S. currency" and comes with a plaque commiserating one of the several bankrupt financial institutions (e.g. Bear Stearns or Lehman brothers). You can also personalize your own plaque.
According to the Jist Enterprises' website, 15 percent of the proceeds from each coffin sold will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and the United Way as a way to "bail each other out."
While selling miniature coffins might not appropriate for every organization, the capturing of the mood and atmosphere of a particular time can be. Using related topics or events in the headlines is a great way to raise awareness. Nonprofits should not hesitate to express themselves in artistic or clever ways that acknowledge the current climate for increasing their visibility.