Inspiring kids to get creative for ChildFund

About This Project

ChildFund encourages their global child sponsors to build a relationship with their Sponsor Child. They do this to help create a reciprocal relationship where the child is learning just as much as the sponsor parent.

The research behind this is two-fold. Firstly, it’s known that when a Sponsored Child receives letters and cards they develop better as people with more confidence in themselves. This affects their language skills, schooling and improves their chances at a better future. Secondly the building of this relationship better connects the Sponsor Parents and allows them to feel more rewarded when they make monthly donations.

Every year ChildFund creates a range of moments for sponsor parents to get involved. They range from seasonal activity packs, educational games and, of course, birthdays.

The birthday cards always needed to be engaging and inspire everyone to get involved. Each year the challenge was to come up with something new.

The Challenge

We are very limited by what we could send in the mail. This included weight, size and ensuring items would arrive in perfect condition. Another limiting factor is what is available on hand in the location the children live. For example we often sent packs to children in Cambodia. With access to limited craft supplies it force me to think differently.

The Process

This birthday card was themed around paper-craft. The idea was borne out of a crafternoon with my nieces. Armed with a stack of paper, scissors and markers we created a mess. But that mess inspired me to explore the cut paper and origami style more.

This period of play allowed me to design fun activities using bare essential supplies. I created a mini activity book and paper pack with a range of coloured paper sheets. Working closely with printers and suppliers we pushed right up against the challenges of Auspost guidelines and our postage budget. The final pack also included stickers and a die-cut tangram with challenges.

The theme ran right through the campaign featuring in a Direct Mail and Email campaign.

An accompanying communications strategy was designed and implemented to trigger emails to sponsors when birthdays were coming up. These emails featured an acquisition phase and also follow up emails to let sponsors know when their birthday cards had arrived.

The Result

The result was fantastic. We received many photos of children getting creative with origami and even sharing a few of their own ideas. The photos were shared with Sponsor Parents helping to strengthen friendships.

Over the years working with ChildFund on these campaigns I created more activities. One that stands out was an activity teaching children to weave crowns from green twigs, vines leaves and other items found in nature. The participation of that activity was so high it brought tears of joy to my eyes.