Without a dedicated marketing budget for DEAR SANTA, USPS activated its extensive network to promote the documentary to every U.S. household in print, the first time a film was promoted to every home by mail, and to transform all 33,000 U.S. Post Offices into North Pole-worthy promotional content hubs.

To showcase the dedication of US Post Office employees, the brand’s logistical innovation, and shipping as a priority service for the holidays, USPS created DEAR SANTA, a feature-length documentary film spotlighting the brand’s 108-year-old Operation Santa program that pairs “Dear Santa” letters with gift-giving volunteers to make holiday wishes come true.

The USPS has been the organization Americans turn to for mail and shipping for over 200 years. Whether by horse, rail, aircraft, or mail truck, USPS has remained steadfast in its commitment to servicing the delivery needs of everyone in the United States. However, despite a more attractive price point than private shipping competitors, USPS couldn’t get people to break their affinity for shipping alternatives during the busy holiday season.

If price points and service promises wouldn’t work, then a tug at people’s heartstrings could improve its top-of-mind recall. Accordingly, an initiative focused on USPS’s existing but little-known good works— which also involve technical and logistical innovation— could make consumers take note. Additionally, highlighting USPS’s longstanding efforts in supporting America’s underserved, could, in turn, inspire a social good movement to help make holiday dreams come true for those in need.

The concept of DEAR SANTA, a feature-length documentary, was born.

Operation Santa, USPS’s 108-year-old program to ensure those in need at the holidays don’t go without, presented an opportunity for a story of joy and generosity that highlights the dedication of USPS employees, the organization’s logistical innovation, and its commitment to reliable shipping as a USPS priority service for the holidays.

A story this big, however, demanded to be told in long form. Furthermore, despite the program’s age, it remained a relative unknown. A feel-good holiday movie would increase the potential for widespread exposure and cut through holiday clutter to deliver big results in earned PR despite the lack of a dedicated marketing budget for the film.

Still, for USPS to deliver its message of help and hope with no additional spend, the organization’s entire network would need to be activated to reach everyone in the US with a never-done-before print and out-of-home campaign on a grand scale.

To ensure DEAR SANTA would be seen and embraced by the widest possible audience, the project was shopped to distributors, with distribution rights selling to IFC Films. This approach allowed DEAR SANTA to receive both theatrical and PVOD distribution during the 2020 holiday season – when COVID-homebound American audiences were starving for streaming content.

Our PR strategy created interview and feature opportunities that targeted top entertainment publications and TV news programs, creating the breakout opportunity we desired during peak shipping season. Earned media coverage included Deadline, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety - which touted the film as an Oscar contender – Good Morning America, The Drew Barrymore Show, and countless local news segments.

DEAR SANTA is available for purchase on major streaming platforms and currently lives on Hulu, with plans for it to become a perennial holiday viewing experience, further cementing USPS as a force for good in consumers’ minds.

In anticipation of the movie’s December 4, 2020 theatrical and PVOD release, USPS included DEAR SANTA promotional inserts with its annual Holiday Mailer – a printed mailer that reaches over 100 million households in every US state and territory. A $20 million value, the DEAR SANTA mailers mark the first time that a film has been promoted by mail to every address in the United States. As well, DEAR SANTA inserts accompanied the pay slips of all 630,000 USPS employees, another promotional first.

To reach audiences out-of-home, we displayed eye-catching film posters in all 33,000 US Post Office locations and played the trailer on 4,000 digital information screens, leveraging customers’ attention while they waited in long, socially distant queues. A one-click option to watch the trailer was featured on devices every time someone tracked a package, and the film was included in an integration on USPS.com, which remains live.

DEAR SANTA and the surrounding direct-mail print and out-of-home campaign drove positive sentiment and favorability to universally boost brand perceptions. USPS ranked #1 for shipping among consumers who encountered DEAR SANTA, +7pts versus non-exposed. As well, favorability increased +8pts among exposed consumers, who also identified USPS as their preferred holiday shipper by +5pts.

With zero additional media spend, DEAR SANTA reached an earned media audience of over 4.3B, garnering 4.7B impressions and 783 press hits for an ad equivalency value of $8,100,000+. Valuation from support through USPS owned media was $7,379,500.

DEAR SANTA resonated with critics and audiences alike, maintaining a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score as the USPS was able to “deliver” a heartwarming holiday story that both highlighted and leveraged its incredible logistic capabilities, innovative practices, and dedicated workforce.

Best of all, Operation Santa gift deliveries spiked 63%, eclipsing 2019’s total in the first week of the film’s release.