I think probably the only thing all Americans can agree on this week is that America has no shortage of problems. This includes an epidemic of loneliness that I would argue has reached pandemic proportions. According to the NPR article I’ve linked, one of the cures is “creating a culture of connection.” And I sincerely hope that the Perfect Pairing campaign can help counteract it.
A marketing collaboration between the Greeting Card Association and the USPS, the first leg kicks off next week, November 11 to 15. Participation is simple — just create social media content on Instagram, Facebook and/or TikTok pairing your favorite card(s) with one of the two ‘thank you’ stamps below. (Pick up sheets here and here, or hit up your local post office.)
For maximum exposure, please tag the following accounts:
— @uspostalservice
— @usagca
— @ms_sarah_schwartz (that’s me!)
— @stationerytrend
Be sure to use these four hastags:
— #perfectpairing
—#sendacarddeliverasmile
—#happymail
— #sendmoremail
And, feel free to add any of these: #foreverstamp; #foreverstamps; #stamps; #no moreboringenvelopes; #maillove; #sendmoremail; #usps; #unitedstatespostalservice; #uspostalservice. I am also suggesting #perfectpairings since I hope to see many!
This is the but the first leg of the campaign — expect more Perfect Pairings to come down the pike.
I am hopeful that one day very very soon, searching #perfectpairing on Instagram will bring with it a bevy of card sending (and stamp) inspiration. The campaign has the potential to really grow greeting card sales, as GCA’s previous collabs with the USPS have resulted in 150,000,000 additional cards being sent through the mail. Yes, you read that number right!
By tagging the above accounts, your work will get more eyes on it. With that said, make sure you tag your retailers too so people can find + purchase your product!
And that’s all there is to it, folks! If you have questions, please reach out to Dana at Blue Kite Press (danalynch@verizon.net) and Marina at Ampersand M Studio (hello@ampersandmstudio.com).
Meanwhile, I cannot close without noting how thankful I am for Dana and Marina’s seemingly tireless efforts here. None of this would have happened without tedious hours upon hours of (volunteer) work. I have so much gratitude for both of these incredible paper nerds — and I can’t wait to see what everyone posts.
And, best of all, every last missive sent through the mail promises to create a culture of connection, one card at a time. Hopefully, we can all agree on that.
