Instead of helping L.A. environmental non-profit Heal the Bay design a new ad campaign this summer, Team One built it a new business model. That’s how we define launching ideas.

For Buy the Bay – our charity-driven boutique business showcase for Heal the Bay – a multidisciplinary agency team worked with artists and celebrities to manufacture a series of limited-edition products, all inspired by our favorite memories from L.A.-area beaches. To launch the product collection, we threw a VIP event in Santa Monica where pop sensation A Fine Frenzy dazzled our guests. We built an e-commerce website and then watched the orders flood in. All Buy the Bay sales proceeds directly benefit Heal the Bay.

Not only has Heal the Bay benefited from an influx of funding, but the local community took notice and awareness of Heal the Bay skyrocketed. The Los Angeles Times and CBSLA.com wrote about the Buy the Bay project, and our grassroots community management efforts generated nearly 3.5 million impressions on Twitter in just four weeks.

For more details, visit www.BuytheBay.org.