The An Post “GPO Witness History” campaign collected the top prize Gold award in the Best in Travel and Tourism category at the recent 2017 Accenture Digital Media Awards, ahead of Guinness Storehouse and Click and Go among others.
During the campaign last year, red post-boxes returned to selected locations around Dublin in a vivid interactive telling of stories from the Rising. This major 1916 centenary initiative was developed by An Post in association with Target McConnells.
Coverage on the red post-boxes dominated online, broadcast and print media in March 2016 and the result was a completely sold out GPO Witness History exhibition and over 11 million earned media impressions.
The campaign turned back time to tell the story of the Rising from the unique perspective of local, heritage post-boxes that stood in silent witness to the dramatic events of the time – and ever since.
Located at various locations around Dublin including O’Connell Street and the GPO, An Post’s Witness History post-boxes were re-painted red to reflect their colour in 1916.
Each post-box told its own story of heroism, valour, heartbreak and fate. For a free and fully immersive experience, members of the public were invited to FREETEXT a keyword featured on their chosen post-box before receiving a video link on their smartphone. The videos detailed events that took place at the exact spot in which they were standing. Viewers could also book for the GPO Witness History Visitor Centre.
According to An Post spokesperson, Anna McHugh: “The “Witness History” post-box campaign was a new way of telling the story of the 1916 Rising. A narrative of passion, commitment and belief, it blended the personal stories of those involved in the unfolding events of the Rising and how their lives were impacted as a result.”
Target McConnells Managing Director, Abi Moran, said; “An Post are part of the fabric of Irish culture, so it was a privilege to help tell their 1916 story. We believe that great stories require special attention, so we combined smartphone technology, innovative video techniques, and the help of the country’s leading historians to give these amazing events the audience they deserve. The end result was an easy-to-use experience that turned red post-boxes into windows to history.”
