Human Rights Postmark

Background

Reporters without Borders is an international organisation which supports innocent journalists who have been imprisoned while in the course of their work and campaigns for their release.

They wanted some sort of action on International Human Rights Day (10^th December) to help promote their cause and to raise funds.

Idea

In collaboration with the Austrian Post Office, Reporters Without Borders opened their own Post Office for the day, where a uniquely designed, special edition postmark was used to print over a postage stamp depicting a detained journalist. The result showed the journalist as if behind bars.

Even before the envelope was opened, Reporters Without Borders had made clear its mission.

Results

The mailing generated newsarticles supporting the organisation in 28 newspapers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, spreading the message and helping generate donations as well as publicity.

Our Thoughts

We like work to be up-to-the-minute at Directory and this doesn’t really fit the bill. But we liked it so much, the way the idea turns every envelope into a powerful communication in its own right, we overlooked our own rules.

What is so impressive is the Austrian Post Office’s willingness to allow brands to create their own stamps. This isn’t the first time they have done this. A few years ago they allowd Haggen-Dazs to make stamps that didn’t just depict their ice-creams, but which tasted of them too.

At a time when mail needs all the help it can get, Post Offices should be encouraging brands to put their stamp on their marketing.