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2020 One Show - Public Relations

Delivering Hope

Agency MRM//McCann / New York

Client United States Postal Service
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Annual ID

OS_PR20_032M

About the Work

The 2018 “Camp Fire” ripped through California right before Christmas leaving thousands of families homeless in shelters. Piling on to that stress, many parents worried that they wouldn’t be able to give their kids a happy Christmas, and kids worried Santa wouldn’t be able to find them without an address. We wondered what if kids could send a letter to tell Santa where they were. That way, our digital Operation Santa platform could let everyday people give directly to those affected—in a uniquely personal way, by reading and adopting the letters to Santa. We utilized local mail carriers to deliver letter kits to all the shelters within the affected communities. We collected over a thousand letters and made national news. With zero media budget, we showed people the heart of the USPS brand and helped people all over the country experience the true meaning of Christmas. Net sentiment increased by 150%, perceptions of reliability by 19%. With zero media dollars, we showed people the heart of the brand that was helping people help others and most importantly, delivered hope to families at Christmas.