In 2020, during Taiwan’s COVID-19 lockdown, my partner — a marine biology major — came up with a beautiful idea: turning her favorite marine creatures into a calendar. I was immediately drawn to the concept, not only for its artistic value but also for its potential to raise awareness about Taiwan’s often-overlooked ocean ecosystem.

Together, we developed a comprehensive go-to-market and crowdfunding strategy, including the creation of all visuals and content. We started with an interactive online questionnaire to spark awareness and attract our first batch of customers, then nurtured them into a community through social channels and exclusive updates. With a tailored pricing and discount model, we encouraged advocacy and word-of-mouth growth.

We launched the campaign on WaBay, Backer-Founder’s newly developed platform, and the results exceeded expectations: over 7,000 backers and more than $256K USD raised. Beyond the numbers, we partnered with a marine environmental NGO to donate part of the revenue — ensuring the campaign not only fulfilled our creative vision but also contributed to ocean conservation. What began as an idea between two people became a campaign that combined art, strategy, and social impact.