Inviting kids to pen letters to fairies & elves as a pandemic-pivot

Children’s Fairyland is a charming storybook theme park in Oakland, California that has been entertaining families with young children since 1950. However, like many businesses, this beloved community institution was forced to close its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the closure, the park’s marketing and communications team needed to quickly pivot efforts to keep the community engaged online.

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Solution: As the organization’s Brand Storyteller, I had the idea to invite children to write letters to the park’s fairies and elves. The concept was that the children would receive a response in return, keeping a vital connection with the community alive.

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Implementation: The park’s marketing and communications team launched the letter-writing campaign, encouraging children to write to the park’s fairies and elves. The response was overwhelmingly positive; 293 letters came in from children. A team of five volunteer fairies and elves assembled to respond to the letters, spending months writing personalized responses on special kid-sized Fairyland stationery designed by local artist Michael Wertz.

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Results: The letter-writing campaign was a huge success, both in terms of engagement and community connection. The children loved receiving responses from fairies and elves, and the park was able to keep a connection with the community during a difficult time. The campaign was also heartwarming and magical, adding a touch of fun, fantasy, and imagination to the otherwise isolating days of the pandemic.