How I create brand collaborations with real impact
I don’t wait for brand collaborations to happen, I proactively build them, from initial outreach to final product.
Intro
Sometimes the best strategic shift is the simplest one: go where the people already are and make a difference there.
In 2024, that realization reshaped how Be the Light Campaign approached community impact and it led to our most meaningful year. Rather than waiting for people to find us, we brought mental health resources into everyday moments: a flower order, a late-night slice, an open studio on a Friday night. Within three months, we reached thousands of people across Columbus, Ohio, not through big budgets or campaigns, but through genuine partnerships and a belief that one small moment can have ripple effects on a whole life.
Community impact of two brand collaborations within three months
Jewelweed
Impact: 500+ care cards added to deliveries
Jewelweed, a local Columbus florist, already included flower care cards with every order so we asked a simple question: what if we added a note about taking care of yourself too? I connected with the owner, we decided to collaborate, and I designed and printed 500 cards that went out with their deliveries. A friend of mine received one without knowing I'd made it and that moment of unexpected connection was exactly the kind of ripple effect we were hoping for. We've been told that people kept the cards on their desks and refrigerators as a small reminder, even after the flowers were gone.
Mikey's Late Night Slice
Impact: 500 stickers & 500 coasters to share mental health resources
With Mental Health Awareness Month approaching, I reached out to Mikey's Late Night Slice, a Columbus cult-favorite pizza joint, to see if they'd want to partner to share resources during the month of May. They said yes, I designed three concepts for their team to choose from, and we landed on coasters for the bars and stickers inside the pizza boxes, each with a QR code linking to a curated resource page on our website. Learn more about the resources we created >
Franklinton Friday at
400 West Rich
Impact: Hundreds of attendees engaged with our mental health exhibit
We closed out the month with a mental health gallery exhibit and pizza party during 400 West Rich's Franklinton Friday open studios, bringing community, resources, and a little celebration together in one space. Hundreds of people walked through, engaged with the exhibit, and took home mental health resources & guides.
Lessons Learned
Two brand collaborations, simultaneously.
Brand 1: a natural extension of our own
Brand 2: a creative stretch
Jewelweed collab in action
Jewelweed x Be the Light Campaign | Photos from our collaboration
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