Inspired by the documentary A Place at the Table and associated with Share our Strength, Great Nations Eat is a movement committed to creating meaningful change for the 49 million people in America going hungry. As the first step to promote their cause, we created #FoodPicStrike - a social media initiative that turned the food photography culture on Instagram into awareness to the issue.

During the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, we distributed thousands of napkins designed to work specifically on Instagram around Austin’s eateries. We then invited people to sacrifice pictures of their local food, and instead share the napkin on Instagram under the hashtag #FoodPicStrike to show support.

To encourage participation, $1 was donate to Great Nations Eat for every member joining the strike. The napkins also drove people to GreatNationsEat.org, where they could learn more about the cause and get involved through different social channels.

To implement the idea, we designed napkins to work specifically on Instagram; carrying the message that 49 million people go hungry in America. We distributed thousands of them during South by Southwest Interactive Festival, inviting people to share a picture of the napkin instead of a food picture. For every participant on the #FoodPicStrike, $1 was donated to Great Nations Eat towards the hunger cause. The napkins also drove the audience to GreatNationsEat.org, where people could view the strikers’ pictures in a live-updated gallery, learn more about the cause and join the #FoodPicStrike through different social media channels.

#FoodPicStrike not only had a positive impression on foodies attending the festival, but it transcended to food bloggers, chefs and social influencers around the country. With no paid media behind, the napkins shared via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook generated over 350,000 impressions for Great Nations Eat in only three days of the South by Southwest Interactive Festival; even garnering coverage from the Wall Street Journal.

#FoodPicStrike proved the power of social media platforms, by showing they can be adapted to generate awareness, share support and inspire change for millions of Americans in need.