UPS Transforms Logistics Into Humanity With One Great Idea

UPS recently launched a “Wishes Delivered” campaign that includes a wonderful film about a little boy and his favorite driver, Mr. Ernie. The film is a great story, fun to watch, and truly heart warming. However, its marketing power is far greater than any of that. First, here’s the film in case you haven’t seen it.

From a regular delivery truck to a magical wish-delivery vehicle (hold the reindeer).

One of the powers of this little film – and the entire Wishes Delivered campaign – is that it changes the way we perceive that big brown box on wheels. It was a truck, a brown truck no less, that had packages inside probably for businesses. Nothing special.

But this idea inspires the viewer to think again. It reframes that ordinary truck into something approximating Santa’s sleigh. And it does so with humility, heart, and not a shred of chest-pounding.

From a guy dressed all in brown to a guy dressed all in red.

Mr. Ernie is clearly a saint. Or should be. Yes, he gives the boy a truck and that was nice for the film. But what we learn is that Mr. Ernie befriended this little boy, Carson Kight, years ago when he realized Carson was such a truck fan, and, more specifically, a UPS truck fan.

What the film does not say – and I learned here – is that Mr. Ernie was delivering a special baby formula to Carson’s family since the boy was born. And with that many deliveries, he had many encounters with little Carson and developed a friendship.

But we don’t need to know that detail to appreciate that Mr. Ernie may very well reside pretty well north of here past the 7 levels of the Candy Cane Forrest. That’s good for him, and even better for UPS. An added layer of trust and respect is likely added to every brown uniform this holiday season.

From a brand obsessed with logistics to a brand obsessed with humanity.

It’s a big difference and an important one. I’ve never been a huge fan of the “logistics” positioning. I find it cold, too rational, and leaves the brand zero wiggle room for error (see my post from last year, ”A Rational Brand Idea Doesn’t Deliver” for more on that).

But this idea is different because it’s emotional, it tells a story, it connects to me as a human being (not as a robot), and proves to me that the UPS brand has what Simon Sinek would call a “Why” – or a brand motivation that is bigger than “What” you make and “How” you make it.

The fact that UPS would make such a charming film and would donate $1 to charity for every person who posts their own wish to #wishesdelivered tells me that UPS doesn’t see 100 packages as a mere 100 packages, but as 100 wishes from 100 human beings.

At a time when the world seems to be coming unhinged, when bad people are doing bad things, when faith in humanity is being tested, I would say this UPS delivery showed up right on time.