Hey there, fellow marketers and business enthusiasts!
Are you ready to take a trip to visit some of the most legendary direct mail pieces ever created? Well, you’re in for a treat! We’re counting down the top 10 direct mail pieces of all time – the ones that captured hearts, attention, and, most importantly, business.
So buckle up, grab a snack, and let’s dive into this epic journey of killer direct mail campaigns.
1. The Nestle Too Chunky to Fit Kit Kat Voucher
Imagine the delight of finding a complimentary chocolate bar voucher in your mailbox. Nestlé pulled off this clever campaign to promote its Kit Kat Chunky. Using a personalized “apology for missed delivery” card, they urged recipients to claim their Kit Kat from a nearby newsagent, with its “chunkiness” being the reason it couldn’t fit through the letterbox. Nestlé effectively engaged their target audience with this clever campaign, tantalizing taste buds. And you know what – it worked!
2. Tell Them What They Get, Not What You Have
What’s in it for me? HelloFresh ran a direct mail campaign where they didn’t share what they have to offer but what their prospects get when they try HelloFresh out – home-cooked meals for less. They get to save time and money and get more variety. This kind of messaging speaks to the needs and feelings of people who might consider converting to a HelloFresh subscriber.
3. Wake Up! A Strong Call
To stir the dormant defender of human rights within each of us, Amnesty International Belgium orchestrated a series of experiments utilizing direct mail, posters and digital. Thousands of personal letters stamped with this message: “After examination, it has been noticed that the last letter you sent contained ideas which, if wrongly interpreted, could be harmful to the country’s security. Your letter has therefore been destroyed.” This invited people to call, and boy did they.
4. Wish Customers a Happy Birthday!
Who doesn’t love it when someone remembers their birthday. GAP ran a campaign where they send a “Hey! Happy Birthday” mailer out to everyone with a birthday in February and gave them 25% off! It helped to build loyalty, memorability and likeability with the brand. And it drove sales. I sure hope brands I love remember my birthday next year.
5. Clever Around the World in 80 Days Experience
This company used a creative approach to encourage media buyers to secure ad space during TV2’s Saturday night movie slot, which boasted impressive audience numbers but lacked interest from advertisers. They sent TV buyers of major media agencies a rate card for the upcoming Saturday night movie, ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, enclosed within a series of envelopes that showed that the mailer itself had journeyed around the world in 80 days! Pretty groovy, hey?
6. The Estee Lauder FREE Gift Offering
Who doesn’t love a good deal? This Estee Lauder mailing offers everyone who receives it a free gift of their choice from their product selection. How could you not redeem it, right? With its eye-catching design and irresistible offer, this self-mailer drives conversions like no other. There’s no reason why you can’t try this technique too!
7. Blank Pages Turn Useful!
To boost awareness of photographer Lisa Petrole’s newly launched website, a unique promotional strategy was created that involved no photography whatsoever. The promotional piece comprised a three-book series titled “92 Days of Winter,” “A Study of Milk,” and “Albino Doves on White,” each consisting entirely of blank, white pages. However, the rear cover featured pertinent information—lisapetrole.com—turning what initially seemed like an insignificant mailer into a practical notebook that recipients could utilize and keep around the house. How about that!
8. Multiply your Social Impact
The sock brand Bombas developed a striking direct mail campaign that visually showed that for every pair of socks purchased, another pair is donated. The mailer lead with the striking fact that “socks are the #1 most requested clothing item in homeless shelters.” And they closed it off with that BOLD statistic that 25 million pairs have been donated.
9. Give a Gift Card
Embrace Home Loans gave gift cards to prospects to motivate them to take action and purchase. Who wouldn’t want a $100 Amazon gift card? Provide real value and people will want it. Think of what your customer might really like, find a way to provide something with perceived value that has little to no direct cost to you. Then stand back and watch the results.
10. Show Them The Gecko
Brands like GEICO develop strong brand equity when creating cognitive associations between memorable icons and what the brand is all about. Think green gecko and navy blue – think GEICO. Their direct mail campaign stood glaringly in letter boxes when prospects were greeted with the friendly green gecko looking right at them.
And there you have it – the 10 best direct mail letters of all time! Whether you’re a marketer looking for inspiration or just a fan of great advertising, these iconic mailers are sure to leave a lasting impression. So here’s to the power of direct mail and the creative minds behind these legendary campaigns.
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