Even in times of peace, there are many reminders of war, including bright lights at night. So in partnership with Walmart, we asked America to turn a negative trigger into an ongoing symbol of support by switching one white light in their homes to green – the color of safety, renewal and well-being – and to keep it glowing every day.

The green light acts as a perennial beacon of support and appreciation, and a visible symbol of our commitment to “greenlight” (a term commonly used to activate forward movement) veterans back into our communities.

Additionally, we asked people to share their support by posting a picture of their green light on social media using the hashtag #GreenlightAVet, and created social ad units and an online aggregator that collected all #GreenlightAVet photos and posts in real time.

Greenlight A Vet launched in October 2015 with a national TV campaign featuring real-life veterans, accompanied by an online content series profiling each veteran’s story in greater detail. We sent the first 100 bulbs to the country’s most important leaders and influencers and invited them to “light the way,” inspiring their fans and followers to join the cause. Outdoor media was used to drive further awareness and participation. The campaign culminated in an event at America’s largest Veterans Day parade in NYC, where we hosted an exhibition featuring our veterans’ stories and an interactive installation that tallied the growing number of supporters through posts, tweets and shares. Our street teams handed out thousands of Greenlight A Vet pins to parade-goers and participants as a wearable symbol of our collective support and gratitude, and also captured stories from civilians and veterans alike about what service means to them.

The simple gesture of changing one light to green sparked a national movement across porches, streets, office buildings and monuments. Since launch, millions have been “greenlighting” veterans back into their communities and sharing their support on social media, creating the single largest veteran support movement in U.S. history.

Only a few weeks after launch, Greenlight A Vet had received…

1.6 billion media impressions

2.8 million visits to the website

3.7 million online acts of support

400+ media stories

What’s more, Walmart brand sentiment skyrocketed to 94% (3.7 times the industry benchmark), and they sold out of over 2 million green bulbs in just two weeks. Even Walmart’s competitors joined the movement, promoting the cause and selling their own Greenlight A Vet bulbs in store and online. Furthermore, the campaign improved overall brand perception and demonstrated that Walmart could ignite national conversations promoting positive change in communities across America.