diff --git a/src/components/CampaignHeroBackground.tsx b/src/components/CampaignHeroBackground.tsx
index e72d98b5..7d573c55 100644
--- a/src/components/CampaignHeroBackground.tsx
+++ b/src/components/CampaignHeroBackground.tsx
@@ -86,10 +86,16 @@ export function CampaignHeroBackground({ imageUrl, className }: CampaignHeroBack
         );
       })}
 
-      {/* Warm tint + dark gradient — keeps foreground text legible without
-          completely washing the photo out. */}
-      <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t from-background/85 via-background/55 to-background/40" />
-      <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-br from-primary/25 via-transparent to-secondary/30" />
+      {/* Dark vertical scrim — strong at the bottom (spotlight card) and
+          lighter at the top so the photo still reads. Uses black instead of
+          background so the overlay is consistent across light/dark themes. */}
+      <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-t from-black/80 via-black/45 to-black/15" />
+      {/* Warm primary tint — gives the hero its brand feel. */}
+      <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-br from-primary/20 via-transparent to-primary/10" />
+
+      {/* Left wash — mobile only, where the globe arc crosses the headline.
+          Dark so white headline text has a reliable backdrop. */}
+      <div className="absolute inset-0 bg-gradient-to-r from-black/75 via-black/35 to-transparent sm:hidden" />
 
       {/* Film grain — same trick as Treasures' HeroGallery. Helps the
           composited globe + photo feel like one image. */}
diff --git a/src/components/HeroCampaignSpotlight.tsx b/src/components/HeroCampaignSpotlight.tsx
index be32ce0c..fd310514 100644
--- a/src/components/HeroCampaignSpotlight.tsx
+++ b/src/components/HeroCampaignSpotlight.tsx
@@ -63,10 +63,9 @@ export function HeroCampaignSpotlight({
   return (
     <div
       className={cn(
-        // Compact text block over the photo. Light text + subtle drop
-        // shadow for legibility, no card chrome — modeled after the
-        // Treasures hero overlay: tight, dense, low-key.
-        'space-y-1.5 text-foreground [text-shadow:0_1px_2px_rgb(0_0_0/0.4)]',
+        // Compact text block over the photo — always white regardless of
+        // theme since the hero is always a dark-scrimed photo.
+        'space-y-1.5 text-white hero-text-shadow-soft',
         className,
       )}
     >
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ export function HeroCampaignSpotlight({
       </p>
 
       {campaign.summary && (
-        <p className="text-xs text-foreground/80 line-clamp-2 max-w-xs">
+        <p className="text-xs text-white/80 line-clamp-2 max-w-xs">
           {campaign.summary}
         </p>
       )}
@@ -101,12 +100,12 @@ export function HeroCampaignSpotlight({
               </div>
             )}
             <div className="flex items-baseline justify-between gap-2 text-[11px] [text-shadow:none]">
-              <span className="font-semibold text-foreground">
+              <span className="font-semibold text-white">
                 {formatCampaignAmount(raised, btcPrice)}
-                {!hasGoal && <span className="ml-1 font-normal text-foreground/70">raised</span>}
+                {!hasGoal && <span className="ml-1 font-normal text-white/70">raised</span>}
               </span>
               {hasGoal && (
-                <span className="text-foreground/70">
+                <span className="text-white/70">
                   of {formatCampaignAmount(goal!, btcPrice)} goal
                 </span>
               )}
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@ export function HeroCampaignSpotlight({
         );
       })()}
 
-      <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-3 gap-y-1 text-[11px] text-foreground/75 pt-0.5">
+      <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-3 gap-y-1 text-[11px] text-white/75 pt-0.5">
         <span className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5">
           <Avatar className="size-4 ring-1 ring-white/40">
             {authorPicture && <AvatarImage src={authorPicture} alt="" />}
diff --git a/src/components/HeroGlobe.tsx b/src/components/HeroGlobe.tsx
index 7675aec3..5ae00717 100644
--- a/src/components/HeroGlobe.tsx
+++ b/src/components/HeroGlobe.tsx
@@ -313,8 +313,8 @@ export function HeroGlobe({
             <stop offset="100%" stopColor={hue.glow} stopOpacity="0" />
           </radialGradient>
           {/* Soft highlight in the upper-left to sell the sphere shape. */}
-          <radialGradient id="hero-globe-highlight" cx="28%" cy="22%" r="38%">
-            <stop offset="0%" stopColor="hsl(50 100% 98% / 0.85)" />
+          <radialGradient id="hero-globe-highlight" cx="30%" cy="25%" r="35%">
+            <stop offset="0%" stopColor="hsl(50 100% 98% / 0.58)" />
             <stop offset="100%" stopColor="hsl(50 100% 98% / 0)" />
           </radialGradient>
           {/* Marker glow halo. Soft, warm, no pulsing. */}
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index fd1cd595..9f6f012d 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -753,3 +753,28 @@
   .hero-pan-right, .hero-pan-left { animation: none; }
   .hero-globe-halo-breath { animation: none; opacity: 0.42; }
 }
+
+/* Dark drop-shadow for hero copy — photo backgrounds are always colorful,
+   so we want a dark shadow regardless of light/dark theme. */
+.hero-text-shadow {
+  text-shadow:
+    0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8),
+    0 0 20px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.45);
+}
+
+.hero-text-shadow-soft {
+  text-shadow: 0 1px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.65);
+}
+
+/* On mobile the globe sits under the headline — soften its left edge. */
+.hero-globe-mask {
+  -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(to right, transparent 0%, black 48%, black 100%);
+  mask-image: linear-gradient(to right, transparent 0%, black 48%, black 100%);
+}
+
+@media (min-width: 640px) {
+  .hero-globe-mask {
+    -webkit-mask-image: none;
+    mask-image: none;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx b/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx
index 075f701b..72c0554a 100644
--- a/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/CampaignsPage.tsx
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ export function CampaignsPage() {
         <div className="absolute inset-0 pointer-events-none">
           <div className="relative max-w-7xl mx-auto h-full px-4 sm:px-6">
             <div className="absolute inset-y-0 right-4 sm:right-6 flex items-center">
-              <div className="pointer-events-auto translate-x-[40%] sm:translate-x-[38%] lg:translate-x-[38%] opacity-90">
+              <div className="pointer-events-auto hero-globe-mask translate-x-[40%] sm:translate-x-[38%] lg:translate-x-[38%] opacity-90">
                 <HeroGlobe
                   markers={globeMarkers}
                   selectedKey={highlightedMarkerKey}
@@ -305,12 +305,12 @@ export function CampaignsPage() {
         {/* Foreground content — headline + CTAs at the top, spotlight info
             at the bottom. Shares the `max-w-7xl mx-auto` container with the
             globe so everything aligns to the same left/right axis. */}
-        <div className="relative max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4 sm:px-6 py-14 lg:py-20 min-h-[560px] sm:min-h-[600px] lg:min-h-[640px] flex flex-col">
+        <div className="relative max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4 sm:px-6 py-14 lg:py-20 min-h-[560px] sm:min-h-[600px] lg:min-h-[640px] flex flex-col text-white">
           <div className="relative space-y-5 max-w-2xl">
-            <h1 className="text-4xl sm:text-5xl lg:text-6xl font-bold tracking-tight leading-[1.1] drop-shadow-sm">
+            <h1 className="text-4xl sm:text-5xl lg:text-6xl font-bold tracking-tight leading-[1.1] hero-text-shadow">
               Connecting activists to unstoppable funding.
             </h1>
-            <p className="text-base sm:text-lg text-foreground/80 max-w-2xl">
+            <p className="text-base sm:text-lg text-white/85 max-w-2xl hero-text-shadow-soft">
               Raise Bitcoin directly from supporters around the world. Every donation settles
               straight to your campaign's beneficiaries, with no middlemen, no chargebacks, and no
               platform holding your funds.