Senior Advisor, Sycamore Partners
WBA Magazine
Pulling out all the stops to end child poverty
From benches to digital filters to fast and furious celebrities, Red Nose Day 2021 had something for everyone – most importantly for kids in need.
By Tom Wall
Every spring, customers have come to expect a certain energy at their local Walgreens stores. Beginning in April, aisles, shelves and team members are all adorned with splash of red in the form of T-shirts, signage and, of course, the iconic Red Nose.
Red Nose Day in the U.S. is a campaign with the mission to end child poverty by funding programs that keep children safe, healthy, educated and empowered, and Walgreens plays a crucial role in encouraging customers to donate throughout the campaign. Central to this is the sale (and donning) of the iconic nose itself. Last year, amid health concerns during the global pandemic, the physical noses became digital ones, but the donations still found a way to come in – ushering in an all-new strategy, audience and era for the Red Nose.
This year, despite the lingering obstacles presented by COVID-19, we helped raise more than $21 million for the campaign, online, in-store and via mobile devices.
Read this collection of stories from the Walgreens Newsroom, and see what made this year’s Red Nose Day campaign so uniquely 2021.
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A face (and nose) behind Red Nose Day
This year, we featured Jordan Ott, a young leader in his Lawrence, Kan., community and proud member of the Sac and Fox Tribe. Red Nose Day’s Native Services program and the program’s donation to Boys & Girls Clubs were just a part of why Jordan is one of the millions of young people whose lives have been changed by Walgreens customers’ generous donations to Red Nose Day.
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Where does your Red Nose Day donation go?
Lorelei Williams of Comic Relief US, the nonprofit behind the Red Nose Day campaign to end child poverty, explained the process behind selecting partners who benefit from the generosity of Walgreens customers.
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Digital Red Noses: take two
After a successful inaugural run in 2020, digital Red Noses returned. See how the team first came up with the concept – a quick pivot during a global pandemic – and see how it evolved in year two.
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Red Noses find new life, continuing to help kids
Every Red Nose is made to help young people in the U.S. by spreading awareness and raising funds to address and end child poverty during Red Nose Day. But when the day is over, does that mean a Red Nose’s job is also done? Not necessarily. Iconic Noses from Red Nose Day have been recycled into Buddy Benches and donated to schools, helping children and the environment.
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No slowing down for Jordana Brewster
The ‘Fast & Furious’ star Jordana Brewster took on a new role this spring: Red Nose Day ambassador. Check out her conversation with Walgreens Stories about her busy year and why giving back has become a family tradition.
