A bad ad at a bad time

by SOFII

Domestic violence has been on the rise during the coronavirus pandemic, so Women’s Aid wanted to highlight the issue and ask for donations. However, this bad ad shows how not to try and raise money. 

If you want their money, best not to insult them

by Joe Burnett

A goof by the UK Conservative Party in a fundraising letter shows just how careful you need to be with the data you're working from.

Note: this article contains language that some may find offensive

Spot the elementary mistake in this advertisement

by Andrew Papworth

Embracing the Internet is of course crucial for modern charities. Andrew Papworth, however, argues that this World Food Programme ad makes the mistake of ignoring an important section of society by focusing so heavily on online users.

Brand cops mandate stupid Haiti ad

by Jeff Brooks

It would be best not to follow this example of fundraising for the disaster in Haiti. Or so Jeff Brooks thinks.

Donor-centric but stupid? It’s possible

by Jeff Brooks

Sometimes a stupid nonprofit ad campaign has an odd little grain of smart in it, like this print ad campaign here on SOFII. Do you agree with Jeff Brooks when he says that it doesn’t quite make it, as a way to raise money?

Making cancer cute

by Jeff Brooks

The ad agency has struck again with this strikingly stupid nonprofit ad. The victim...

World’s shortest stupid nonprofit ad

by Jeff Brooks

Sorry if this series offends. It’s meant to provoke, challenge the blinkered and encourage improvement. And its author Jeff Brooks could have said, the world’s stupidest short nonprofit ad. It’s difficult to see how anyone imagined this ad would be a good idea. Well, actually, it’s difficult to see, period. As Jeff says, ‘Get real…’

‘No sale’ video from Oxfam

by Tom Belford

I’m a sucker for online videos to deliver important messages and sell causes and charities. But this one from Oxfam is a ‘no sale’ as far as I’m concerned.

A very angry anagram, nudge, nudge, wink, wink

by Andrew Papworth

It is by no means unknown for me to be critical about Greenpeace’s advertising – particularly its tendency towards confrontational belligerence and its lack of any sense of humour.

Storm ad that ignores humanity

by Jeff Brooks

If you want to unlock people’s philanthropy, says Jeff Brooks, don’t take the humanity out of your fundraising. Make sure your donors see who needs their help and what they can do.

The ad that trivialises tragedy

by Jeff Brooks

Jeff Brooks has some more severe words for ad agencies and their questionable campaign creations for charities.

Be womankind?

by Andrew Papworth

SOFII is all about celebrating and sharing great fundraising ideas so that we can all become a little more successful ourselves. But here Andrew Papworth, author of fundraising newsletter, Harvest, suggests that an Oxfam advert unveiled for International Women’s Day isn’t exactly top of the list to take fundraising notes from. What do you think?