A Calendar With a Difference
Advent of Change
The Challenge
To launch a first-of-its-kind charitable Advent calendar which would donate to a different charity each day of the festive countdown.
Backed by celebrity endorsers, including Sir Richard Branson and Virginia McKenna OBE, the Advent calendar was to be stocked in all John Lewis & Partners shops throughout the UK, and was also to be sold online.
Our brief was to generate broad awareness of the product – and ultimately help to sell 5,000 calendars.
The Idea
After talking to founder Kristina Salceanu, we immediately recognised that her story was the perfect news hook. The product had been designed, manufactured, produced and pitched around a full-time marketing job. 26-year-old Kristina was doing this project to do good: nothing more, nothing less.
So, a profile release was drafted and pitched to relevant media via a targeted sell-in. Product placement opportunities with national and consumer titles were also pursued.
The Results
- Within weeks, we had delivered nine national / consumer articles including Mail Online, The Telegraph, London Evening Standard, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia, Country Living, House Beautiful and Top Santé
- Regional broadcast coverage comprised BBC Radio Cornwall, Lincolnshire, Hereford and Worcester, Nottingham, Shropshire and Somerset
- National broadcast coverage included BBC Radio 2 and BBC Five Live
- While Kristina was on air with BBC Radio 2, 92 calendars sold in six minutes – and a further 500 that day, resulting in £14,000 raised for charity in 24 hours
- All told, Advent calendar sales raised £98,500
- As a result, Kristina received a call from Downing Street to say she would be receiving an award from the Prime Minister for voluntary service