As a brand, Microsoft focuses on encouraging people to get hands-on with their technology, empowering users to unlock their creativity to change the world. With that in mind, the goal this season was to strike the perfect balance of art and science to produce positive impact.

Microsoft is inspired by individuals who drive change and empower others to achieve. In this spirit, Microsoft collaborated with six extraordinary NFL players and the philanthropic organizations they support off the field: Von Miller, Russell Wilson, Richard Sherman, Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Olsen, and Martellus Bennett.

Each player’s non-profit aligns with Microsoft’s core missions and values, including education, accessibility, creativity, inclusion, and health. By providing resources and awareness to these foundations, Microsoft aimed to increase their impact on those in need. Each player uses Surface on the field, and each sees how technology can improve their foundation’s work and create change in their communities.

The integrated campaign started with storytelling: five short documentaries showcasing each player’s foundation and how Surface technology is empowering the organizations into the future.

This fueled a grassroots social movement encouraging fans to participate in the Create Change spirit. Thousands shared personal stories – from helping elderly carry groceries, to running impactful non-profits.

Fans then donated directly to the foundations through Microsoft Rewards, with Microsoft matching dollar for dollar.

Next, it was time for fans to put the “create” in Create Change, by going to Microsoft Stores across the nation to design helmets for charity using a custom 3D illustration app on Surface devices, and posting the art on social.

The program came to a powerful conclusion in Minneapolis for Super Bowl LII, with a revelation of a sixth athlete: Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald, gifting $25,000 in Surface product to an underfunded local school, helping to close the digital divide.

The program shattered performance metrics, outperforming all of its goals for reach, engagement and donations. Additionally, testing and focus groups showed a large statistically significant increase in brand affinity (+22%) and purchase intent (+20%) for those exposed to Create Change and the charitable giving initiatives. Remarkably, a donation of $25 was seen as the equivalent goodwill as a $100 discount from a Surface.

Most meaningfully, the program raised significant charitable donations in cash and technology grants, and generated immeasurable awareness and goodwill to millions of lives in communities of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Which, in this day and age, could be the most valuable metric of all.

In terms of hard numbers, the key results can be broken down as follows:

- 400MM+ earned impressions

- 5.6MM social media interactions

- 11.4 MM video views

- 32k+ Surface engagements

- 185 media stories

- $201,132 technology / cash donations