Case Study: Twas the Night Before Christmas: Edited by Santa Claus for the Benefit of Children of the 21st Century

 

Anti-smoking youth activist Pamela McColl, based in Canada, self-published a book that has been in the public domain, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. The same story was published by no less than 15 publishers in 2012. But what made her edition different was the removal of three lines from the nation's most famous poem that referenced Santa smoking a pipe. She also had new illustrations created, free of the pipe smoke that had previously come from the jolly Christmas icon. She utilized Media Connect to create an awareness campaign that children today can grow up enjoying smoke-free images in their books, films, games, and TV shows.

Media Connect created a huge buzz by initiating a firestorm over twin controversies: Should a classic text ever be edited? How do we get the entertainment industry to stop marketing cigarettes to our youth?

The media coverage not only helped to ignite a healthy dialogue  about preventing children from smoking, but it also put McColl's book, ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: Edited by Santa Claus, on Amazon's best-seller lists for children's books and poetry.

SVP Brian Feinblum managed the PR campaign and Heather Mangal was the primary publicist.

Here are links to some of the many media placements generated:

Colbert Report

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/421161/november-12-2012/blitzkrieg-on-grinchitude---santa-s-pipe

 

Los Angeles Times

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-santa-smoking-new-night-before-christmas-20121018,0,495035.story

 

The TODAY Show

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49415806#49415806

 

New York Post

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/st_nickotine_patch_y27vCEdZZJXS4ikYyVh2xO

 

Associated Press

http://m.thedailynewsonline.com/search/?q=%22pamela%20mccoll%22&t=&l=25&d=&d1=&d2=&f=html&s=&sd=desc&s=start_time

 

Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323501404578161533382882510.html?mod=wsj_valettop_email

 

The View

http://abc.go.com/watch/the-view/SH559080/VD55239343/the-view-1015

 

USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2012/12/23/smokingsanta-twas-the-night-before-christmas/1787601/

 

LIVE with Kelly and Michael http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1691028013?bctid=1902415183001

 

National Review

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/331199/rehabilitating-santa-claus-charles-c-w-cooke

 

Vanity Fair

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2012/12/santa-claus-quits-smoking-twas-the-night-before-christmas