Given the fact that billions of emails are sent and received every day, the M&C Saatchi Abel ad agency — that believes nothing is impossible and counts as the most awarded South African agency at the 2015 One Show festival– together with RocketSeed, a company that delivers consistent email signatures, had conceived a platform that can transform every sent email into a good cause. This week’s #ThrowBrandThursday presents “Stamps for Good” campaign that allows email users to feature a virtual stamp in every mail they write.
According to the technology market research company Radicati Group there were 2.6 billion email users in 2015, with the number to reach up to estimated 2.9 billion users by the end of 2019. Due to social network growth, the amount of emails sent per day will increase from 205 billion mails in 2015 to staggering 246.5 billion emails a day in 2019. Taking into account such large amounts of emails are sent daily, the Cape Town-based advertising agency launched the “Stamps for Good” campaign in October 2016, which allows email users to utilize one of the virtual stamps that are linked to ten different charities from South Africa.
To contribute to this campaign, the subscriber has to access the Stamps for Good website and pick a cause he wants to support. The stamp is then embedded into the emails, and after the payment the sum goes straight to the charity, and as the website describes: “To support a charity you ‘buy’ their stamp, which we’ll then help you embed in every email that your company sends. Everyone who gets an email from you will see the charity you support. They can click on the stamp to learn more and sign up their company for Stamps for Good too.”
The small art pieces will appear in every mail the subscriber sends. Although the stamps are not available for individuals yet, the companies can choose and pick one from the following ten charities: The Haven Night Shelter, Apple-a-Day Foundation, WWF, Habitat for Humanity SA, Project Literacy, The Sunflower Fund, Reach for a Dream, Cotlands, Learn to Earn and the Animal Anti-Cruelty League.
The stamp will appear in the email, for one year: “At the end of the year, you will get an email that will give you the chance to make another donation and choose a new stamp.” Also, those who want to support a specific charity can donate directly to it, by clicking the “donate” button available on their website.
In 2014, the award winning agency launched a unique ‘store’ for people without shelter. Named “The Street Store,” it is the “the world’s first rent-free, premises-free, free pop-up clothing store for the homeless,” with the goods coming from people’s donations. With more than 580 stores globally, the agency encourages people to host their own store: “Now anyone can run a Street Store. We hope that you will be one of them.” This initiative has gained a huge global success, hosting about 600 events worldwide.
Credits:
Agency: M&C Saatchi Abel