Million Reasons Run
Million Reasons Run
A challenge built to move people called for a brand that did the same.
A challenge built to move people called for a brand that did the same.
There were a million reasons to run, and every runner had one of their own. The campaign needed a visual language strong enough to bring all that energy together. The Million Reasons Run is a 31-day challenge that invites people across Canada to set their own distance and raise funds for life-saving research at 13 children’s hospitals. As the sole designer shaping this year’s campaign look and feel, I built a visual system around the momentum and course of a run, working alongside a copywriter who carried forward the established messaging and visual identity. That sense of forward motion carried through the participant experience, giving thousands of individual efforts the force of one nationwide movement.
There were a million reasons to run, and every runner had one of their own. The campaign needed a visual language strong enough to bring all that energy together. The Million Reasons Run is a 31-day challenge that invites people across Canada to set their own distance and raise funds for life-saving research at 13 children’s hospitals. As the sole designer shaping this year’s campaign look and feel, I built a visual system around the momentum and course of a run, working alongside a copywriter who carried forward the established messaging and visual identity. That sense of forward motion carried through the participant experience, giving thousands of individual efforts the force of one nationwide movement.
The existing website and marketing materials lacked consistency and did not fully reflect the organization’s approachable, youth-focused mission. The goal was to create a more engaging and accessible visual experience that could better connect with younger audiences while maintaining credibility within healthcare and educational spaces. As a freelance designer, I supported the refresh through website design, brand development, social content, and supporting marketing materials.
Year:
Tag Here
Tools:
Figma
Illustrator
Photoshop
Read More
The existing website and marketing materials lacked consistency and did not fully reflect the organization’s approachable, youth-focused mission. The goal was to create a more engaging and accessible visual experience that could better connect with younger audiences while maintaining credibility within healthcare and educational spaces. As a freelance designer, I supported the refresh through website design, brand development, social content, and supporting marketing materials.
Year:
Tag Here
Tools:
Figma
Illustrator
Photoshop
Read More
Illustration
Digital & Web
Event
Services Provided:
Visual Identity
Brand Strategy
Research & Discovery
Illustration
Marketing Collateral
Brand Refresh
How it was solved
This national challenge was built one kilometre at a time. I shaped the visual system around that growing momentum, using a route line to connect individual progress to the larger challenge unfolding across Canada. Bold colour and hand-drawn details brought the energy, while a deep purple base kept every piece part of the same campaign.
This national challenge was built one kilometre at a time. I shaped the visual system around that growing momentum, using a route line to connect individual progress to the larger challenge unfolding across Canada. Bold colour and hand-drawn details brought the energy, while a deep purple base kept every piece part of the same campaign.
Visual System
The route line could bend, loop, or stretch depending on the format, giving the campaign movement without forcing every piece into the same composition. Bright accents pulled key messages forward, while bold typography kept them clear across digital content and large outdoor placements. The system could support a high volume of creative without losing its pace or becoming repetitive.
The route line could bend, loop, or stretch depending on the format, giving the campaign movement without forcing every piece into the same composition. Bright accents pulled key messages forward, while bold typography kept them clear across digital content and large outdoor placements. The system could support a high volume of creative without losing its pace or becoming repetitive.
Participation
The challenge was broken into small wins. I created illustrated achievement badges to mark progress and give runners something they could share along the way. The same loose illustration style carried into campaign merchandise and participant materials, extending the sense of reward beyond the screen.
The challenge was broken into small wins. I created illustrated achievement badges to mark progress and give runners something they could share along the way. The same loose illustration style carried into campaign merchandise and participant materials, extending the sense of reward beyond the screen.
Localization
Local participation was part of a much larger story. I built adaptable templates for each hospital partner, with enough flexibility for French copy and the different proportions required across digital and outdoor placements. The core structure stayed recognizable while imagery and messaging could shift for each audience.
Local participation was part of a much larger story. I built adaptable templates for each hospital partner, with enough flexibility for French copy and the different proportions required across digital and outdoor placements. The core structure stayed recognizable while imagery and messaging could shift for each audience.
The Outcome
While the final campaign went in a different direction, this is the concept I'm most proud of. The process showed what was possible when the campaign was given room to evolve, and pushed me to think at a scale I hadn't designed for before.
While the final campaign went in a different direction, this is the concept I'm most proud of. The process showed what was possible when the campaign was given room to evolve, and pushed me to think at a scale I hadn't designed for before.
