PR Panda Promotions

On February 4, 2010, FedEx Express donated its logistical services to transport two giant pandas from the United States to China. Tai-Shan, a four-and-a-half-year-old male panda, and Mei Lan, a three-year-old female panda, traveled onboard a custom-decaled FedEx Express Freighter known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”


FedEx wanted to promote the event and was looking for apparel that would be very visible on television, in addition to items that it could give to the general public who came to say goodbye to the pandas. They produced jackets for ramp workers that had “FedEx Panda Team” imprinted in large letters on the back. These items were front and center in television news stories. They also provided T-shirts, buttons and stuffed panda bears. There was even a Chinese newscaster holding one of the plush pandas reporting the big event in China.

Fed Ex knows a good PR event when they see it. They also know to use high-visibility promotional items when it absolutely, positively has to get attention.