victories for marriage at the ballot in 2012, to winning a majority of Americans in support of marriage, and to the movement's ultimate victory in 2015. Advertising and media Through an aggressive and sophisticated media strategy, Freedom to Marry's "Press Room" drove the national narrative around marriage and combated marriage opponents' fear-based messaging. Freedom to Marry funded, directed, and created ads showcasing unexpected surrogates and stories of Americans' journeys to supporting marriage. Compelling messengers included veterans, Republicans, and family members of same-sex couples, and helped make the case in the court of public opinion that all of America is ready for the freedom to marry. Digital Action Center Freedom to Marry launched its Digital Action Center to leverage the national organization's successful online work and apply it across more than two dozen state digital campaigns. Freedom to Marry's award-winning digital team developed cutting edge online tools and innovative content strategies to engage marriage supporters in effective action, advance the organization's message online, raise funds, and tell the stories of people directly affected by marriage discrimination. In effect, Freedom to Marry was the digital "back end" of virtually all the key state campaigns in the last several years of the push. Freedom to Marry won numerous honors for its pioneering use of video and social work for advocacy such as the Silver 2015 Pollie Award. State campaigns Freedom to Marry's work in the states almost always consisted of quickly and efficiently establishing state campaign coalitions, promoting teamwork, providing and enhancing expertise and a playbook of effective tactics, and generating needed funding. Freedom to Marry played a role in nearly every legislative and ballot win, and worked closely with its partners to create the climate for victory in states with pending litigation, enlisting expertise, resources, and infrastructure to support local advocates. "Why Marriage Matters" was Freedom to Marry's national public education campaign. The campaign was launched on February 14, 2011 The Why Marriage Matters project includes videos and stories from real people and real facts about why marriage matters, and was a critical part of long-term efforts in the states. President Obama and Democrats "Say, 'I Do In March 2011, Freedom to Marry launched an open letter calling on Barack Obama to support marriage for same-sex couples. Over 122,000 people signed their names to the letter, including numerous celebrities, civic leaders, and entrepreneurs. The campaign ended on May 9, 2012, when President