TURNING DONATED WATCHES INTO MEANINGFUL TIME
Created in loving memory of Michael by his parents Sandra and Simon Jeffs, the Buying Time Foundation raises funds to help young people living with serious illness make the most of the precious time they have. Through carefully curated auctions of exceptional donated watches, every bid contributes to creating meaningful experiences for individuals and families when time matters most.
For their 2026 auction, Buying Time needed a custom digital platform build and a marketing campaign to match. RA Creative was brought in to design and customise a Shopify store, integrating the Tipo app to deliver live bidding – a functionality Shopify does not offer out of the box.
The store was built around the Buying Time branding, combining the world of luxury watches with the authenticity of a charity inspired by a deeply personal story. Anti-Money laundering compliance and identity verification were implemented into the journey, keeping the platform secure and trusted for all participants. With no traditional checkout – winning bids handled directly by the Buying Time team, the experience was designed to feel intuitive and personal at every step.
Alongside the website, RA Creative delivered a digital marketing campaign across Instagram, email and editorial content. The campaign was designed to raise awareness, encourage donations and drive bidding throughout the auction. Custom-built newsletter templates, Watch of the Week posts, donor spotlights, reel assets and blog content kept the community engaged throughout the 30-day auction window.
