Poverty, homelessness, poor education, teenage pregnancy, infant mortality — these are some of the daunting problems facing the city of Memphis, putting a whole community at risk. But what can be done to conquer such seemingly insurmountable tasks? Perhaps the answer is love. But not just any love. A form of love the ancient Greeks called agape, the love of God for mankind.

For more than 40 years, Agape Child & Family Services has quietly provided children and families with healthy homes in Memphis and the Mid-South through adoption, foster care, community restoration, homeless services, mentoring, maternity services and counseling, serving a total of 18,000 individuals in 2010. With a goal of increasing the number served annually to 50,000 by 2015, Agape sought help from Perdue Creative to launch its first-ever brand awareness campaign. 

"We've always been excited about the work we do at Agape," say David Jordan, Agape executive director, "and when we recently began to focus on our two key areas of adoption and community restoration, it was the perfect time to communicate our focus to the public, to let them know who Agape is and how they can get involved."

"How does Memphis say love?" is a multi-media campaign built on the organization's name, its proper pronunciation and its Classical Greek origins as a word for "the highest form of love." Digital billboards broadcast the brand to the wide audience of passersby along the I-240 loop, I-40 corridor and Germantown Parkway. Banner ads on the Commercial Appeal website and local users of Facebook direct online readers to the Agape website. And a direct marketing piece timed with the Christmas holiday season and year-end giving expounded on the Agape story while making a direct appeal for donations and volunteers. 

An online video,"How do you agape?", is planned for launch at the first of the year, followed by television spots on select cable channels and programs in mid-January.  

We applaud Agape for their desire to boldly expand their efforts and for realizing that accomplishing this goal means expanding their circle of influence. We are thrilled and blessed to work with them in showing Memphis and the Mid-South how to say, and show, love to children and families in need.