Artistic Direct Mail

     When we design direct mail packages for clients, we often try to come up with something that the recipient will hold onto. We can do this through creative personalization, by including something informative or useful, or simply by coming up with a format that is so cool the person who receives it simply can't throw it away.
     A few days ago, the Queen B received a smart little package that is still sitting on her desk. Here's what it looks like:

     The outer envelope is fairly straightforward. It comes from the Tufts Art Gallery and a teaser along the bottom alerts that the package contains an invitation to a September 11th event. A quick note on the placement of the teaser: you can see that a USPS bar code is interfering with the artwork. Putting the message above or along the left hand side of the address would have avoided this. 
     However, this is a minor grievance when followed up with the abundance of colorful content we discovered inside:

     A bright yellow belly band contained four cards, each depicting the work of a particular artist featured in the gallery event.

     The backs of the cards gave quick biographical statements and, again, encouraged our attendance at the opening event. Each felt like a miniature work of art, and the overall effect was, well ... effective. Having experienced a taste of the upcoming exhibit, we were definitely intrigued to learn more.
     Best of all, four days later, the cards still haven't been thrown out. And, the event is written, in ink, on the Queen B's calendar.
     Our only other bit of constructive criticism (aside from the observation about the teaser placement on the envelope) is that the piece would have benefitted from a reply device. A simple one- or two-color additional insert could have accomplished multiple things: collected email addresses, provided a URL for additional information, served as an event reminder to slip into a wallet or pocket, offered driving directions or coordinates for a GPS.
     Overall, however, the art enthusiast b's at B Direct give this direct mail work of art a big thumbs-up!