Amanda Claire, creative producer at Adobe, said advertisers have skills that can make the world better, but not many opportunities to engage in the community in personal ways.
“Spark & Riot not only excels at what they do in the advertising space, but also in these communities and organizations that they help lift up,” Claire told ADWEEK. “Their mission of doing good and having purpose definitely gives them an advantage when I am considering who to partner with.”
Closer to home, Spark & Riot works with Hope in a Suitcase to outfit Los Angeles foster children. This year, they are hosting a holiday gift wrapping event to ensure the kids experience the warmth and joy of a thoughtfully wrapped gift.
“Ana and her team consistently show up with a joyful can-do spirit that uplifts our events. We’re grateful to the Spark & Riot crew for showing youth who have not experienced much kindness that there are people who sincerely care about their wellbeing,” said Marsha Todd Austin, director of Hope in a Suitcase.
Bringing in agencies
Spark & Riot is expanding its mission to help agencies get involved with causes they care about.
The production company worked with Terri & Sandy on a shoot for My/Mochi, which resulted in a partnership with nonprofit Fundación Origen to empower women entrepreneurs in Mexico. Profits from the project allowed the organization to build crop gardens for women-owned food growing businesses.
“Because they have such wonderful directors and talent, this program and initiative is a nice added bonus,” said Daniel Maughan, a producer with Terri & Sandy, of Spark & Riot.
To inspire action, Spark & Riot often brings staff from local nonprofits on set to talk about their work. In August, the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center for Orphans had client and agency staffers write notes inside of books it bought for children.
“They found it really impactful and meaningful,” said de Diego.
Despite the enthusiastic industry response to Spark & Riot’s model, de Diego wants to see more investment from clients and agencies in local causes. But with fewer AOR accounts, she sees that being a more difficult ask, “so we’re finding ways of making it easier for clients to be involved without asking them for money,” she said.
“We’ve become a bit big facilitator in creating a system of organization…and then rallying people to go do that,” said de Diego.