When Mary Adam, award-winning creative at Leo Burnett, posted as Elmo on LinkedIn, announcing that the Sesame Street icon had been laid off due to federal budget cuts, the internet erupted. The post garnered over 5 billion organic impressions.
After LinkedIn removed the post, Mary assembled a team of Leo Burnett colleagues and brought in Kevin McGlone, Creative Director at HoneyWired, to help turn the moment into a meaningful action. Together, they launched ElmoOpenToWork.com, a Shopify-powered website aimed at supporting PBS.
The site featured satirical "open to work" resumes and downloadable LinkedIn profile pictures for beloved PBS characters—encouraging fans to submit them to real job openings—as well as limited-edition merchandise designed by Cannes award-winning design director Kyle Poff. It was part comedy, part call-to-action—and a love letter to public broadcasting.
The project was an independent, parody-driven campaign with 100% of any profits being donated to PBS. And was not directly affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Sesame Workshop, PBS, or any of their programs or characters.
The campaign became a viral second act, transforming a deleted post into a platform for creative advocacy and support for PBS.
