Direct Mail Campaigns of the Year: World Vision & The National Humane Education Society

But there was no argument over the package’s use of emotional stories and vivid imagery, including a letter that put the reader right in the middle of a disaster at sea, opening, “Mayday! Mayday! We’re taking on water!”

“We developed an appeal that highlighted the critical role the Coast Guard plays when disaster strikes at sea,” wrote Robbins’ Robin Riggs. “We created a personalized renewal letter with a strong sense of urgency, [and] we also created a full-color brochure which included vivid photos and testimonials from people who had been rescued by the Coast Guard so we could tell their dramatic stories in their own words.”