Literacy foundation ABC Canada, with the help of Canada Post, has launched a family literacy stamp – and is counting on a strong marketing campaign to raise money for the charity.

‘We’ve got three months to succeed or fail,’ says Scott Dickson, ABC director of communications, adding that the stamp will be in circulation for six months but that sales in the first three months will determine the success of the program

‘Literacy begins at home’ is the theme behind the stamp, which, at 50 cents, costs 5 cents more than a regular first-class stamp. The fundraising stamps can be purchased in a book of 10, with 50 cents per book going to the foundation. Ten million of the stamps are available at over 7,000 Canada Post locations.

This ‘surcharge stamp’ is the second such stamp in Canada Post’s history, says Dickson, adding that the last one – for the Montreal Olympics – was unsuccessful because it wasn’t marketed properly.

‘This one we’re determined will do well,’ he says.

Dickson estimates the cost of advertising and promotion of the family literacy stamp to be close to $3 million.

The Cundari Group of Toronto worked pro-bono on the advertising, which involves 15- and 30-sec. tv spots in both official languages, an English 30-sec. radio spot, out-of-home (with space donated by Toronto outdoor media supplier Mediacom) and print, says Dickson.

The tag line for the stamp, which features a die-cut, puzzle-piece shaped hole in its centre, is ‘Lick the stamp and stick with literacy.’

There is also a direct mail campaign, targeted to 11.2 million homes, featuring a contest to win one of three Hewlett-Packard home learning centres, according to Dickson.

Entrants are encouraged to mail back the entry form using the literacy stamp.