Direct mail campaigns need not be boring, in fact, the more interesting and unique your mail campaign, the more likely it is to grab someone’s attention, ergo, the more outrageous the better! The following are some examples of mail campaigns that the recipient had no choice but to pay attention to.
Red Light.
In October 2021 the Netflix sensation Squid Game left viewers thrilled and horrified at what a group of 456 players would do for a financial safety net worth millions. In the show, down on their luck Koreans are offered the chance to take part in a mysterious game in the hopes of netting themselves a huge cash prize, with most of the players targeted because of their massive debt. Cue this mail campaign, which took place shortly after the popular programme became Netflix’s most-watched show in its history.
Around 10,000 people in high traffic areas in New York and Miami received a card identical to the ones the players in the Squid Game series were given. The small brown business card containing the same circle, triangle and square images featured in the show was posted in thousands of letterboxes in the United States. However, the card wasn’t to promote a grotesque sport based on human sacrifice, it was to promote a debt relief app; the flipside of the card read, “There’s a better way to get out of debt.” Alongside a logo and web address for the app ‘Relief’.
The Intangible Box
Boxes can be frightening things, though most famous for the storage and transport of everyday items, boxes can contain scary contents too, like a load of snakes, family photos or Gwyneth Paltrow’s head. Which is why this next mailing stunt, left some horrified when fetching their morning post. A clever flat package that, when pushed under a door or through a letterbox, would miraculously pop up into a scary box, began appearing on people’s doormats around the country. Leaving those who discovered them in shock at seeing a cardboard box appear inside their home without having had anyone deliver it.
Some assumed those responsible were ghostly apparitions of couriers who had passed away, fully unaware of their demise, continuing on their route as normal, longing for the day when they can retire and move abroad with their loving partner, “Linda has always wanted to live in Benidorm”, the ghost might think, “God, I just love her so much, I can’t wait to see the back of delivering boxes and live out my days with her”. Days that for that ghost, sadly, would never come. However, those that assumed this was the case were very wrong and very macabre, the origin of the box was not supernatural, but rather was the result of a clever campaign by home security company, ADT. Printed on the box was the message ‘breaking into your apartment is easier than you think’ and contained advertising for their home security system.
Bloody Maily
In 2010, a Prague-based marketing company called Touch Marketing came up with a very creepy direct mail campaign; sending out blood bags to potential customers. The authentic blood bags, which were filled with fake blood, from a recipe found online by the executives who came up with the genius idea, were nearing their expiry date. And so, at a cost of only $1 apiece, the entirely in-house produced mailer was sent out with a letter, which included company details and a link to its website. The blood bag was branded with the phrase ‘we’ll give our blood for good branding’.
Touch Branding creative director Martin Marušinec said, “We felt that direct mail would work the best because once they unpacked the blood bags, there was no way they wouldn’t pay attention to the message we wanted to deliver.” The blood contained within could also be removed and used as a mix for a delicious red velvet cake. Actually, that last bit isn’t true, but it would have been cool if it was.
Chopsticks for Change
In 2010, Amnesty International decided to send out chopsticks to people’s homes, however, it wasn’t to help them pick up their dumplings. The direct mail campaign was created to raise awareness of human rights violations in China, and drive activism by asking people to make their voices heard in protest of prisoners of conscience, human torture and still ongoing executions.
What Amnesty International sent weren’t chopsticks, they were a set of two pencils. Packaged within, what looked like, typical chopstick packaging. Rather than give instructions on how to use said chopsticks, instead, the package was emblazoned with the following step-by-step guide: “1. Tuck under thumb and hold tightly. 2. Write the Chinese government to help end torture. 3. Don’t let human rights violations by the Chinese government give China a bad name. 4. Take further action at amnesty.org/china”.
Direct Mail Campaigns need to grab the attention of the recipients, otherwise, you might as well not bother. Whilst you don’t always need to go quite as extreme as the examples above, keep in mind that the more out there and thought-provoking the campaign, the more likely you are to provoke a reaction. Whatever your Direct Mail Campaign though, we can help you set it in motion, from concept to consignment, we can help at every step. Get in touch with our team today to find out exactly what we can do for your business.
