A happy mailing brought happy results at Christmas

Campaign smashed all targets
Strong audience targeting and segmentation
Dogs Trust brochure

Background

Christmas is a hugely important time for Dogs Trust – it is an opportunity for the charity to create a deep connection with dog lovers. But it is also one of the most competitive periods in the fundraising calendar, with countless charities competing for attention and their share of the donor’s purse.

In 2024, Dog’s Trust’s aim was to connect with dog lovers in a way that felt warm and human, while clearly communicating the ongoing need for support.

Solution

Dogs Trust worked with GOOD AGENCY to create ‘Happy Place’ - a campaign that was built on the insight that we all have our happy place and, at Christmas, dogs deserve theirs too.  It balanced a sense of positivity with a clear need: at a time of so much bad news, Dog Trust’s positive-led pack invited readers to consider their own happy place - a perfect question to set in the context of mail where recipients were at home, maybe on their sofa with their heating on - and imagine what it would be like if a dog lost theirs.

Happy Place was brought to life in a cost-effective, interactive mailing that told the story of Otis and Hercules, two dogs who both came into Dogs Trust care due to a change in their owners’ relationship. Strong photography of the two dogs drove an emotional connection with the reader, while a playful lift piece gave them a chance to play 'pull the toy' with the dog.  The voice of the dog was woven throughout the campaign with a Christmas card from Otis and Hercules and more urgent messaging from the dogs in the reminder. 

The brand’s colours and typography were reworked into a distinctive “happy place” visual device, which ran consistently through the pack and across the wider campaign, creating a clear emotional hook that ran throughout the campaign.

To minimise wastage and maximise ROI, Dogs Trust worked closely with their data partner Wood for Trees who optimised audience targeting and segmentation, allowing the charity to reach those most likely to respond. 

Results

Dogs Trust’s Christmas campaign was a huge success, smashing all targets and ensuring that many more dogs have a happy place to be at Christmas and beyond. 

These results were particularly impressive given that across the sector the ROI was down by 5-10%.

 


Source: DMA Award Entry 2025, Mail