MarylandSaves is a state-sponsored retirement savings program designed to help small businesses and employees in Maryland prepare for the future, automatically and affordably. The organization came to Linden with a clear challenge: how to capture attention in a cluttered digital space while conveying a message that was simple, direct, and universally relevant. Inspired by the high-impact visuals of roadside billboards, they wanted to see how the bold style could translate to a digital ad campaign.
The primary goal was to increase awareness of the MarylandSaves program among both employees and employers across the state. The team aimed to drive significant website traffic using a bold creative approach that could stand out on platforms like Meta and LinkedIn. The campaign needed to make an immediate visual impression, while still delivering clear value and information at a glance.
Linden developed a paid advertising campaign using billboard-style creatives that prioritized visual clarity and powerful copy. Each ad was designed to stop the scroll with a clean layout and a single, strong statement—mirroring the punch of real roadside billboards.
The campaign included 7 unique message variations and 4 distinct visual styles, allowing the team to test which combinations of tone and design resonated best with audiences.
Meta was used to reach a broad statewide audience with high-volume impressions and cost-efficient clicks, while LinkedIn targeted business owners and decision-makers in more focused professional settings.
7, 975 Total Website Clicks across Meta and LinkedIn
0.95% CTR on Meta and 1.9% CTR on LinkedIn, both outperforming industry benchmarks
112,822 Meta impressions and 47,758 LinkedIn impressions, delivering broad yet targeted visibility
“It’s challenging to get the attention of small business owners to begin with, and most people are reluctant to even think about what their retirement may look like, even though they know they are not doing enough to prepare for life after they stop working.” Simmons continued, “So we needed to get their attention with bold, simple messages designed to get them to take the next step to learn more. The Linden campaign was a perfect mix of the right message and design on the right platform in front of the key targets. It isn’t easy to speak to the employer and the employees at the same time in the right tone, but I think we nailed it. The results agree.”
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