I’ve always loved receiving mail. As a child it was birthday cards from my grandparents. Today my mailbox is a plethora of surprises with my favorite being the retail catalog. Most people look at a catalog for the sale items – I look at it for concept, design, print and paper quality and then – just maybe – the sale items. That’s just the way I’m wired after years of working in direct mail design. Plus, I really do get excited when I see exceptional work from other designers. I file these catalogs in my file cabinet under “creative inspiration” and all the others go in my “circular file.”

December is retail’s big month, not only for in-store sales but for the amount of Christmas catalogs that they print and mail. Major retailers start designing their Christmas catalogs in the late spring/early summer. By the time the catalogs are printed and sent to the mailing house, most designers and art directors feel as if they have delivered a baby.

As a rule, Monday is said to be the heaviest day for mail delivery because of the weekend. Experts say that for a mailpiece to be noticed it should arrive on Tuesday, since Tuesday is the lightest mail day. My question is, will catalog retailers follow this rule and cause Tuesday to become the new Monday? To answer this question, I will be conducting my own unofficial, non-scientific poll and will keep you posted as the results roll in.

The photo above is of my mailbox and it was taken yesterday which was Monday. It contained a business letter, a postcard advertisement from Hallmark, a 12-page Bed Bath & Beyond catalog (wahoo, now I can buy the Pajama Jean) and a crumbled, overcrowded sale flyer that I tossed in my “circular file.” Not the amount of mail I would expect for a “heavy” Monday going into the Christmas shopping season.

Please answer one of the following questions for me before you go:

1. Do you think that Tuesday will go from being the lightest day for mail delivery to being the heaviest during the month of December?
2. Which day do YOU receive the most mail – have you ever given it much thought?
3. Should I ask my husband for a new mailbox for Christmas or should I buy one for him?

Day 28, last day of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

The envelope on the left was printed on translucent clear vellum. Shown on the right is the same envelope but with a matching, color coordinated letter stuffed inside. See how it changes the design and the color? I can see this being a cost saver for sure. Letters can be easily updated, personalized and used with this envelope again and again. I hope that they planned ahead with this in mind and had plenty of these envelopes printed!

Day 25 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

I live in a multi-cat household so this direct mail piece caught my eye. It uses minimal copy to tell the benefits of PETsMART’s brand of cat litter and shows it in a strong visual, too. Wonderful concept!

If this is the first you’ve heard of my 28-Day Creative Challenge, you may want to learn what it’s all about by reading: My Challenge: 28 Days To Clean Up My Creative Morgue. It’s a short post, only one paragraph.

Day 23 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

I’ve been keeping this direct mail piece because it was fun! They say curiosity killed the cat and it’s the same principle at work here. Who could resist looking behind each of the three windows?

Whew! What a busy day I have going for me — I jumped into Monday with both feet running. Remember, you can be part of my 28-Day Creative Challenge by sending me links to download or printed samples of creative work that inspires you, and if it inspires me as well, I’ll feature it here along with a link to your blog or website. Gotta run!

Day 14 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

I love foil labels and this is my favorite! They’re a great way to add an additional message to your promotional material. This one arrived in my mailbox in 2003 on an envelope from Warren Printing. Isn’t it attractive?

Would you like to be part of my 28-Day Creative Challenge? Send  me your links to download or printed samples of creative work that inspires you, and if it inspires me as well, I’ll feature it here along with a link to your blog or website.

Day 12 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

Thank goodness I’m taking the time to sort through my creative morgue, keeping only the very best, because this direct mailer was filed so deep that I’d forgotten all about it.

This brown paper bag has a message on one side and the address label, return address and postal indicia printed and glued to the other side. It serves as a visual aid and complements a concept designed to tug at the heart strings and loosen the purse strings of it’s recipient. It’s a keeper!

I love simplicity, don’t you? That’s why I’ve selected this piece for Day 8 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge. It seems to be a fairly simple concept but ask any designer or copywriter — it’s not easy to be simple.

One of the most common advertising mistakes made today is too much copy/text. For advertising to be effective, you must use as few words as possible in both print and web. This creative 6-panel piece for a NE Ohio hospital system does just that.

Be part of my 28-Day Creative Challenge by sending me links to download or printed samples of creative work that you find inspiring. If it inspires me too I’ll feature it here along with a link to your blog or website.

Have a great weekend!

By showing a single row of shoes falling off the edge of an unusually narrow postcard, the designer has implied that DSW has plenty of these stylish heels to choose from. They’ve also used copper ink as an accent color which gives this piece an air of quality that translates to the merchandise.

The barcode at the bottom almost hides the text “Unleash your passion for shoes.” I wonder if the United States Postal Service charged DSW extra for this postal infraction? Always leave room for that barcode and if you’re not sure, check with the USPS Mailpiece Design Analyst assigned to your area.

I’m keeping this cleverly designed postcard in my creative morgue. This completes Day 5 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

It’s Day 1 of my 28-Day Challenge and I don’t know where to begin so I’m cheating. I’m sharing with you something that I had taped to my wall because there was no room in my creative morgue for it. That’s just sad right?

I tore this page from a Pantone direct mail piece. The colors are vibrant and the image is wild! If a client asks me to design an energetic piece that really pops, I know just the colors to use. By the way, the Pantone Fashion Color Report for Fall 2011 is out and can be downloaded for FREE.

Maybe I should begin by moving all my files from the file cabinet into a BIG box…

This week I attended a Canton Advertising Federation luncheon to hear Mark Daddario of the Cleveland USPS talk about “Green Marketing”. In 2007 I’d researched eco-friendly design for a lecture I gave at the NE Ohio Regional Parks Conference. My information had been supplied by a paper mill (Monadnock) and it was written from their perspective. Now I was going to have a chance to view it from a different angle.

Mark is an excellent speaker and gave a very informative talk. He explained how the USPS works with mailing list owners to “Green Clean” lists to eliminate waste and save both money and energy. Mark can be reached at 216.525.0355 and is always happy to answer questions about “Green Marketing”.

Did you know that paper manufacturing alone is the third largest use of fossil fuels worldwide? Mark and Monadnock both stressed the need for designers to work closely with printers. Wise printer, paper and ink selections will work together to help reduce pollution and protect the environment.

Designers going green can choose to use: 
• a printer who has an environmental management system in place and recycles
• vegetable-based inks and water-based glues

Concerned designers can decide not to use:
• foil stamping— it renders paper non-recyclable
• metallic and fluorescent inks—they contain heavy metals

For more information download Monadnock Paper Mills  Field Guide. It’s message is that eco-friendly design can be cost-efficient, environmentally sensitive and beautiful. I highly recommend this 24-page guide for both it’s beauty and content.

I have been enjoying my copy of Deliver, the USPS magazine for marketers that Mark gave us. You can find the companion website at www.delivermagazine.com. While there be sure that you visit The Green Room, Deliver’s Complete Coverage on Eco-Friendly Marketing.