2019’s Christmas was very different. Smoke hung across Sydney and throughout Australia as the bushfires raged.

Mango wanted to make a difference, so we developed a proactive, pro-bono idea for the Australian Red Cross with our partners at DDB.

Our idea… the Burnt Christmas Tree – a tree very different to the one we are used to. The Tree was made from burnt materials collected from bushfire affected regions outside Sydney and created by the same artist who made the iconic Martin Place Christmas tree.

It featured burnt-out objects – like a metal farm gate and a bicycle, but importantly also signs of hope, like eucalyptus and banksia seeds – synonymous with regrowth. It also featured QR codes so the public could donate. 

Mango developed the overarching PR strategy, working closely with the Red Cross’ media team and the City of Sydney and took a strategically careful approach – not pushing out the news until we knew the sentiment was right.

We managed interviews and secured coverage with the likes of CNN, Reuters, The Washington Post, The Times of India, The Guardian and more. In a few days we secured more than 320 pieces of coverage including 17 international TV stories and raised tens of thousands for Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery.

We tapped into a powerful emotion to drive action and the Burnt Christmas Tree has gone on to win multiple awards for Mango in experiential, pro-bono and PR categories.