Third Sector Award: Marketing Campaign of the Year – Winner: RNIB for Letter from Santa Claus: Ensuring Every Child Enjoys the Magic of Christmas

What was the goal?

The Royal National Institute of Blind People’s Letter from Santa fundraising initiative sends Braille letters from Santa to some of the UK’s 25,000 visually impaired children. In 2021, the charity wanted Keira, the 12-year-old star of its TV commercial and Christmas creation, to take the message of ‘accessibility for all’ to new audiences. He also wanted to deliver letters from Santa Claus to the 15% of visually impaired children who can read Braille, recruit new donors and generate donations.

What did that entail?

A unique TV identity saw Keira feature her own advert by interrupting the continuity announcer on ITV2. It was the first time anyone outside of ITV had introduced an ID.

The RNIB also created the first ever national braille newspaper cover in the UK in partnership with Subway in December 2021. By turning the cover into Braille, the charity showed how most visually impaired people cannot experience media in the same way as most of the public.

The campaign also allowed people to ask the Amazon Alexa virtual assistant to “read my RNIB letter from Santa”, showing how many blind and visually impaired people use audio as a form of communication.

These three innovations complemented an integrated direct response television campaign, social media and public relations, as well as door-to-door mailings and train signs.

What did he achieve?

RNIB delivered braille letters from Santa Claus to 24% of visually impaired braille-reading children in the UK, exceeding its target. The campaign raised £652,000, more than double the £300,000 target, and recruited 17,840 donors. Belief in the cause increased by 10%, double the target.

What did the judges say?

“Brilliant campaign, wonderfully executed. Shows the power of a strategic and creative concept to bring about real change and drive brand sentiment while it does. »

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