Wellington Zoo Nest Animal Hospital direct mail case study

Wellington Zoo’s Nest Animal Hospital in New Zealand is a registered charity and relies on donations to survive. And survival is what the zoo is all about, as it fights to ensure future generations enjoy the same variety of animal species as we do today.

And who better to help protect the future than the adults of tomorrow: children? Saatchi & Saatchi, Wellington's campaign saw kids from local schools getting together to write the appeal letters themselves, giving the zoo a chance to engage with the local community.

This meant a personalised, handwritten and illustrated letter dropped on each prospect’s doormat, every one containing a heartfelt appeal for donations to help keep the Nest Animal Hospital going.

It’s a simple idea, yet it managed to unite a local community behind a cause with global implications. And it was effective, too, clocking up a 27% response rate on the 3,996 letters mailed out and an average donation of around £30, with awareness levels topping 95%.