One Lynchburg
Fundraising campaign branding & creative direction
More than $1 million in giving during the campaign's final public-facing push, as reported by the project.
Giving associated with the fundraising push · project-reported
From sketch to story
Our Work.
Real projects and real roles, each described by the challenge, what was done and why it's relevant to you. Descriptions stick to what each engagement involved.
Case notes — the challenge, what was done, why it's relevant
Original concept illustrations introduce each story. Project materials and documented roles are inside.
5 case studies
01Integrated Campaign StrategyDeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections
Information that moves people to action.Brand Therapy Studio · Integrated Campaign StrategyView case studyClose case study
Concept illustrationcreative direction study
45 days for pitch, approval, development and production.
From pitch to production.
One coordinated, multi-channel election campaign.
- Pitch
- Approval
- Creative Development
- Production
Stages in order — not to scale.
Utility Bill Insert
Historical 2026 campaign artwork — not current voting instructions.
Front — Make Your Plan to Vote
Back — 3 Ways to Vote
Documented highlights
30-second commercial
Cut in horizontal and vertical formats.
Six animated reels
Short-form social video, with coordinated Instagram and Facebook posts.
Print, mail and outdoor
A 9×6 mailer, an 8.5×3.5 utility bill insert, and static and digital billboards.
Four official dates
Oct 5 registration · Oct 13–30 early voting · Oct 23 absentee request · Nov 3 Election Day.
Election information has to work quickly. Residents need to understand important deadlines, recognize official communications, and know exactly what to do next. DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections needed a coordinated, nonpartisan campaign reaching diverse communities across broadcast, social, print, mail, and outdoor advertising. The entire campaign had to be pitched, approved, developed, and produced within just 45 days.
- Campaign Strategy
- Creative Direction
- Messaging
- Digital Marketing
- Video
- Outdoor Advertising
- Print Communications
- The challenge
- Election information has to work quickly. Residents needed to understand deadlines, recognize official communications and know exactly what to do next. DeKalb County Voter Registration & Elections needed a coordinated, nonpartisan campaign across formats, audiences and deadlines. The additional challenge: the entire campaign had to move from pitch and stakeholder approval through creative development and production inside a 45-day window.
- The insight
When time is limited, clarity becomes the advantage.
One central creative idea and a consistent visual system would let multiple deliverables move through development simultaneously without losing cohesion. Every message needed to be recognizable, accurate and immediately actionable.
- The approach
- Brand Therapy led the campaign's creative strategy, messaging, art direction and coordinated production. The process required rapid concept development, client presentations, approval cycles, creative production and delivery across multiple formats. Rather than treating each advertisement as a separate assignment, the team established one visual and messaging system adaptable to different channels and official election deadlines.
The execution
Within the 45-day window, the campaign moved through pitching, approval, development and production of:
- A 30-second commercial in horizontal and vertical formats
- Six animated short-form videos
- Coordinated social content
- A 9 × 6 direct-mail piece
- An 8.5 × 3.5 utility bill insert
- Static and digital billboards
- A coordinated campaign kit
Each piece worked within the larger campaign while communicating information appropriate to its format and audience.
The impact
The result was a cohesive, multi-channel voter-information campaign developed under an exceptionally compressed production schedule. By connecting strategy, approvals, creative direction and production within one coordinated process, Brand Therapy delivered a campaign system designed to communicate essential election information consistently across touchpoints.
What this demonstrates
The ability to lead complex campaigns under pressure, align stakeholders around a creative direction, and move from concept to execution without sacrificing consistency or strategic clarity.
02Community Event LeadershipDay in the Park
A tradition worth bringing back.Michelline Hall · President, Junior League of LynchburgView case studyClose case study
Concept illustrationcreative direction study
More than 40 years of Day in the Park.
A community tradition with new momentum.
Leadership that connects people, programs, and purpose.
- FamiliesAccessible experiences
- PartnersCommunity collaboration
- PurposeMeaningful engagement
Documented highlights
Revived after three years
Michelline chaired the committee that brought the festival back.
Free for families
A day at Miller Park for elementary-age children and their parents.
Partners in one place
Local nonprofits, vendors, entertainment and family activities.
A 46-year tradition
The Junior League of Lynchburg continues the festival today.
For more than four decades, Day in the Park has brought families together through entertainment, education, and community connection. The opportunity was to create an experience that reflected the needs of today's families, strengthened local partnerships, and renewed community participation.
- Event Leadership
- Community Engagement
- Committee Leadership
- Nonprofit Partnerships
- Family Programming
- The challenge
- Following a three-year interruption, the challenge was to revitalize a beloved tradition while preserving what made it meaningful. The opportunity was to strengthen partnerships and renew participation among families in the Lynchburg area.
- The insight
People return to traditions when those traditions continue to mean something.
Day in the Park has always offered more than a day of entertainment. It creates opportunities for families to discover local organizations, access community resources and build connections. The goal was to strengthen that purpose while making the experience welcoming, accessible and engaging.
- What Michelline led
- During her tenure as President of the Junior League of Lynchburg, Michelline Hall chaired the committee responsible for revitalizing Day in the Park. Her leadership centered on honoring the League's history, understanding community needs and coordinating the people and partnerships necessary to support the festival. Working through the League's collaborative structure, the initiative brought together volunteers, community organizations, entertainment and family-focused experiences around a shared purpose.
The execution
The festival brought multiple experiences together at Miller Park:
- Free entertainment and activities for families
- Interactive opportunities for elementary-age children
- Local nonprofit organizations and community resources
- Arts, culture and educational experiences
- Community vendors and participating businesses
- Volunteer and partner coordination
Together, these created opportunities for families to enjoy the event while discovering organizations and services throughout the region.
The impact
Day in the Park's revitalization reinforced the value of an established community tradition and the partnerships that sustain it. The festival provided an accessible gathering place where families, community organizations and volunteers could connect around shared experiences. Its continued presence demonstrates the lasting value of community-centered programming.
What this demonstrates
Michelline's ability to lead collaborative initiatives, revitalize established programs and bring people and organizations together around experiences that serve a larger purpose.
Meaningful engagement requires a clear purpose, strong partnerships, and leadership that understands the people being served.
03Arts Programming & EngagementAnimation Festival
A whole new way to experience animation.Michelline Hall · Chief Programming Officer, Academy Center of the ArtsView case studyClose case study
Concept illustrationcreative direction study
One festival. Many ways in.
Four ways to experience animation: watch, make, play and perform.
- WatchScreenings including Astro Boy, Inuyasha, Boruto and Batman Ninja
- MakeCharacter-drawing workshops and Japanese block printing with Daura Gallery
- PlayPokémon tournament, games from Super Rad Arcade and cosplay
- PerformLocal youth performances, including Linkhorne Middle School
Documented highlights
Free and daylong
January 17, 2026, at the Historic Academy Theatre.
Screenings across generations
Astro Boy, Inuyasha, Boruto and Batman Ninja.
Many ways to take part
Youth performers, a Pokémon tournament, cosplay and drawing workshops.
Cross-partner program
Games from Super Rad Arcade; Japanese block printing from the University of Lynchburg's Daura Gallery.
Animation connects audiences across generations, genres and interests. At the Academy Center of the Arts, the opportunity was to build an accessible cultural experience that celebrated animation and invited audiences to participate in different ways.
- Program Design
- Event Marketing
- Audience Engagement
- Partner Coordination
- Youth & Family Programming
- The challenge
- Animation audiences span generations and interests, from classic-cartoon fans to younger anime viewers, gamers, artists and cosplayers. The festival needed a coherent program that felt welcoming to families and enthusiasts alike, while coordinating activities and partners across a full day.
- The insight
The best programming gives people more than one way to belong.
Some visitors come to watch. Others want to create, play, perform or connect with people who share their interests. A compelling experience makes room for all of them.
- What Michelline led
- Under Michelline Hall's programming leadership, the Academy designed and marketed a free festival that moved from interactive pre-show activities to youth performances and a curated series of animation screenings. The program brought together arts, education and gaming partners, including the University of Lynchburg's Daura Gallery and Super Rad Arcade, and connected classic titles with contemporary animation.
The execution
One free day at the Historic Academy Theatre, programmed in sequence:
- 11 a.m.Interactive pre-show activities
- 12 p.m.Welcome and Introduction with Michelline
- ProgramYouth performances and a curated series of animation screenings
Drawing, block printing, gaming and cosplay gave visitors ways to take part beyond the screen.
The impact
The festival brought screenings, creative participation, performance, gaming and community partners into one coordinated, free cultural program. Its varied activities offered visitors different ways to discover animation and engage with the arts.
What this demonstrates
Michelline's ability to design experiences around audience interests, bring partners and disciplines together, and lead programming that balances creative vision, accessibility and community participation.
04Institutional Creative LeadershipUniversity of Lynchburg
Creative direction that brings a campus together.Jawansa Hall · In-house Creative Director, University of LynchburgView case studyClose case study
Concept illustrationcreative direction study
Two projects · One university brand
One institution. Two ways to connect.
Undeniably Home
Cinematic university brand film (editorial portfolio title)
More than 45,000 video views in the film's first 30 days, as reported by the project.
Reported 30-day performance · project-reported
Both figures are project-reported — not official University totals or platform analytics.
Watch the film
Undeniably Home
The brand film created to spark school spirit and connect alumni with the Hornet community.
The 45K+ figure is the project-reported count from the film's first 30 days, not a live YouTube view count.
Watch Undeniably Home on YouTube (opens YouTube in a new tab)Documented highlights
One Lynchburg
Branding and creative direction for the fundraising campaign's public-facing phase.
More than $1M in giving
During the campaign's final public-facing push (project-reported).
Undeniably Home
Creative direction for a cinematic brand film celebrating the Hornet community.
45K+ views in 30 days
The film's reported first-month reach (project-reported).
A university speaks to many audiences at once: students, alumni, families, faculty, donors and the broader community. As in-house Creative Director, Jawansa Hall helped translate institutional priorities into campaigns and creative experiences that people could recognize, share and rally around. Two projects demonstrate that work: One Lynchburg and a cinematic brand film celebrating the Hornet community.
- Creative Direction
- Fundraising Campaign Branding
- Institutional Storytelling
- Film & Video
- Alumni Engagement
- Brand Stewardship
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- The challenge
- A complex university brand needs consistency across departments while speaking differently to prospective students, current students, alumni and donors. Fundraising requires trust and a clear invitation to give. A brand film needs to move people emotionally while making the institution feel unmistakably itself.
- The insight
People support the stories they see themselves in.
From philanthropic giving to campus pride, the strongest institutional creative work connects a clear message with the people and experiences behind it.
- What Jawansa did
- Jawansa led in-house creative direction across print, digital, film and campaign communications, guiding the visual system, working with multidisciplinary teams and collaborating across institutional priorities. For One Lynchburg, he developed the public-facing fundraising campaign's branding and creative expression; for the brand film, he led creative direction designed to celebrate the university's spirit, connect with alumni and encourage sharing.
The execution
Two projects, each built to connect people with the institution in a different way:
One Lynchburg
Fundraising campaign branding & creative direction
The public-facing fundraising effort united giving messages and campaign design around the University's One Lynchburg identity, communicating donor purpose and helping connect the campaign to the broader university community.
Undeniably Home
Cinematic university brand film (editorial portfolio title)
Directed the creative vision for a high-energy brand film celebrating the students, traditions, alumni and identity of the Hornet community.
Designed to spark school spirit and strengthen alumni connection — the creative intent, not a measured engagement result.
The impact
Together, the two initiatives illustrate the range of creative direction needed inside a university: a fundraising campaign with a clear call to action, and an emotionally resonant film designed to strengthen institutional pride. The fundraising initiative brought in more than $1 million in giving, while the brand film recorded more than 45,000 views in its first 30 days, according to project reporting.
For context: the University's multiyear One Lynchburg comprehensive campaign began well before this work and ultimately surpassed its $40 million goal, closing at $42,176,562.22 from all donors. That is a universitywide total, not a result attributed to this creative direction.
What this demonstrates
The ability to move between donor communications, institutional storytelling and team leadership while keeping a complex university brand cohesive across formats and audiences.
05Creative Placemaking & Environmental BrandingCreating Our Culture
A wall with more to say.Jawansa Hall · Blackwater Branding · Downtown Lynchburg Association commissionView case studyClose case study
Concept illustrationcreative direction study
More than a wall.
A public space transformed through identity, art, and experience.
Place
Activate the environment
Identity
Express local character
Connection
Invite engagement
Documented highlights
Downtown Placemaking Initiative
Commissioned by the Downtown Lynchburg Association as part of its Placemaking Initiative.
Environmental brand expression
Creative concept and art direction through Blackwater Branding, Jawansa Hall's agency before Brand Therapy.
Connected physical + digital experience
A QR code on the mural leads to featured web content developed by Blackwater Branding.
2022 · 1225 Main Street
Completed September 27, 2022; Jawansa Hall painted it with local muralists Christina Davis and Twon Smith.
Downtown Lynchburg was evolving, creating opportunities to strengthen its visual identity and make public spaces more engaging, memorable, and reflective of the community. As part of its Placemaking Initiative, the Downtown Lynchburg Association sought to activate a prominent downtown location through public art that would contribute to the character and cultural identity of the city. The challenge was to create something visually compelling that also strengthened people's connection to downtown.
- Creative Placemaking
- Environmental Branding
- Art Direction
- Public Art
- Visual Storytelling
- Digital Storytelling
- The challenge
- Downtown Lynchburg wanted to activate a prominent public space through public art that contributed to the city's evolving identity. The challenge was to make a recognizable, culturally meaningful destination along Main Street while strengthening how people experience and connect with downtown.
- The insight
The places we remember give us something to connect with.
Creative placemaking brings identity into the physical environment. Through art, design, and cultural expression, ordinary spaces can become meaningful destinations that reflect the communities around them.
- What Blackwater did
- Through Blackwater Branding, Jawansa Hall developed the creative concept and art direction for Creating Our Culture. The project approached the mural as an environmental branding opportunity, connecting visual storytelling with the Downtown Lynchburg Association's broader placemaking goals. The creative direction emphasized bold visual expression, cultural relevance, and a recognizable identity that could become part of the downtown experience.
The execution
Environmental Identity
Created a distinctive visual concept that contributed to the character of downtown Lynchburg and established a recognizable point of interest along Main Street.
Creative Placemaking
Used public art to activate the built environment, introduce cultural expression into an everyday space, and support a stronger sense of place.
Integrated Experience
Connected the physical mural with digital storytelling, extending opportunities for discovery and engagement beyond the installation itself.
The impact
Completed in September 2022, Creating Our Culture introduced a prominent public artwork at 1225 Main Street. The installation contributed to the Downtown Lynchburg Association's placemaking initiative by bringing visual identity, cultural expression, and community storytelling into the public environment. The project demonstrates how thoughtful creative direction can support the character of a place and create opportunities for people to engage with their surroundings.
What this demonstrates
The ability to apply branding principles beyond traditional marketing materials, bringing strategy, art direction, environmental design, and cultural storytelling together in a physical experience.
Great places have an identity. Creative placemaking gives that identity something people can experience.
Work descriptions reflect the nature and scope of each engagement. The University of Lynchburg work was Jawansa Hall's in-house role as Creative Director. Day in the Park and the Animation Festival reflect Michelline Hall's leadership as President of the Junior League of Lynchburg and as Chief Programming Officer at the Academy Center of the Arts.
The Engagement Effect
They showed up. Now what?
See how a single interaction can become an ongoing relationship.
Illustrative model — not client data
Choose a scenario
Make the event worth attending
The invitation is just the beginning.
Let's make the connection last.
Could your project be next?
Tell us what you're working on — a campaign, a brand, or a team that needs leadership.