Best Non-profit Online Video, Best Of Show Online Video

In December 2022, First Liberty Institute released “No Better Letter,” an animated video telling the story of Thomas Jefferson’s historic letter to the Danbury Baptists in the early 19th century, and how it enshrined religious liberty for all Americans.

This video was produced to educate Americans about the history and original meaning behind the phrase “separation between Church and State.” Most people think the “wall of separation between Church & State” is in the Constitution. But it’s not. It was from the letter President Jefferson sent to a group of worshipers in Connecticut. His letter has been read—and many times misread—since 1802.

Jefferson understood that the right to worship as we choose doesn’t come from the government, so the government has no right to interfere. Religious freedom comes directly from God, so it’s a right that will always be well worth protecting—which aligns perfectly with the mission of First Liberty, the nation’s largest nonprofit legal organization dedicated to defending religious freedom.

Instead of focusing on legal jargon or repeating mundane facts, our creative team crafted a poetic retelling of Jefferson’s letter. We reimagined the way we view and share nation’s history during the Founding Era, so that we can better engage people and help them understand what America’s third President actually meant when he wrote those words. Our four-minute video does this through an imaginative, rhythmic script, accompanied by hand-drawn graphics.

“No Better Letter” is an inspiring story to share with people of all ages.

Contributors:

Senior Creative Director:	Howard Goldthwaite
Senior Director of Marketing :	Bryan Dempsey
Digital Marketing Director:	Bryan Rogers
Multimedia Director:	Stuart Shephard
Art Director:	Kathy Cho
Graphic Designer:	Jared Sturgill
Digital Marketing Coordinator:	Megan Moses
Marketing Coordinator:	AnnaGrace Stallings
Digital Marketing Coordinator:	Sarah Merino
Digital Marketing Coordinator:	Jared Besse

FIRST LIBERTY INSTITUTE

Location: United States

About the Agency:

First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty. We believe that Americans of all faiths have a fundamental right to follow their conscience and live according to their beliefs. Our nation’s Founders established this right as our First Freedom nearly two and a half centuries ago, and our mission is to protect it.