Turning a seasonal greeting into a campaigning opportunity

Client: Shelter

3,076 postcards sent to MPs

Shelter used the seasonal greeting hook to supporters a timely way to remind MPs about the housing emergency.

Under the message “All we want for Christmas is an end to the housing emergency”, supporters were invited to send a physical postcard to their MP, combining the familiarity of a Christmas postcard with a serious campaigning message.

Rather than another email or petition signature, the action put individual supporters' messages directly into MPs' hands at a time of year when the reality of homelessness and insecure housing had particular resonance.

How it worked

As with all MP actions, Shelter supporters simply entered their postcode to matched with their MP and were then invited to write their own message or use suggested copy.

JustPost then turned the online action into a printed postcard and handled printing, addressing and delivery.

The message

All we want for Christmas is an end to the housing emergency

The seasonal framing gave Shelter a reason to return the housing emergency to MPs' attention at the end of the year, while giving supporters space to explain why ending the housing emergency mattered to them and their personal experiences.

The response

3,076 supporters sent postcards to more than 600 MPs. MPs would have kept the cards up around the office as part of the festive atmosphere.

Why Christmas worked as a campaigning moment

The campaign illustrates how a familiar seasonal behaviour can become a reason for supporters to reconnect with decision makers.

A Christmas postcard didn't require Shelter to invent a new policy moment. Instead, it gave supporters a different way to put an existing issue back in front of MPs: personal, physical and appropriate to the time of year.

It also fitted a broader pattern in Shelter's campaigning. In another Shelter postcard action, supporters could choose a postcard design, add their own message and use the physical card to communicate directly about the housing emergency. Shelter Campaigns

Try it with your supporters

What would your organisation like MPs or other decision makers to remember as the year comes to an end?

Invite supporters to send a season's greetings postcard, say thank you for something that happened this year, remind them of an unfinished commitment, or tell them what they hope will change in the year ahead.