From Washington politicians to Hollywood script writers, bringing the troops home for the holidays was a major theme in December 2011. Sponsors are getting in on the act too.
One example of this saw Jack Daniel’s pumps thousands of dollars into patriotic military focused home state CSR scheme. The Tennessee-based whiskey brand teamed up with the Armed Services YMCA of Fort Campbell in the neighbouring state of Kentucky to offer help in getting soldiers home for the holidays.
Operation Ride Home is being funded by the distiller to the tune of$101,000. It helps troops by providing them with plane tickets and pre-paid debit cards for gas, lodging and food in order to help them get back to their families for Christmas.
Armed services YMCA executive director Shirley West said: ‘Many of [our soldiers] just don’t have the money to leave the base – whether that’s money for a plane ticket if they live far away from the base or even gas money if they’re closer to Fort Campbell. This campaign will be a huge help in reuniting these families.’
This is heart-warming stuff from Jack Daniel’s, a long time supporter of the armed forces, as well as a compelling PR story. It demonstrates the brand’s commitment to helping families reunite over the Christmas holidays while mixing in a dash of old-fashioned southern patriotism.
The campaign’s microsite also enables members of the public can also get involved by donating cash directly to the cause. But, unlike the previous Budweiser baseball initiative, this campaign seems to lack a compelling path for the public to get involved – other than the aforementioned text-heavy donation website.
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