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 19 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge.

Check out all the “white space” this ad has. What a concept — and I mean that both literally and figuratively. It uses only 23 well-chosen words in both headline and body copy, a golfing photo that uses psychology to appeal to our hedonistic nature (that’s worth at least a thousand words, right?), and a powerful product shot. Toss in the two logos and a wee bit of descriptive copy that includes price, and we have a strong, clean ad. And that’s how it’s done folks!

This ad has certainly found a home in my creative morgue files as a reminder to continue to fight for “white space.” If you’d like to participate in my 28-Day Creative Challenge, please send 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. Or you could just post a comment.

Romanticizing the product as they do here is a psychological advertising technique often used by retail. As a matter of fact, that’s how the tradition of giving a large diamond solitaire engagement ring was created – from a De Berre’s advertising campaign.

Looks like this ad from 1995 has found a permanent home in my creative morgue. Today is Day 13 of my 28-Day Creative Challenge. TGIF!

This Lord & Taylor ad may be old but it’s not outdated. I love the whimsical, hand-drawn, black and white artwork that I see so little of today. I’m keeping this ad to remind me that in this digital world of computer graphics and photos, smart hand-drawn artwork will always stand out from the crowd.

See how the headline becomes part of the fun and helps to turn this ad into a real eye-catcher? I can almost hear those yappy dogs now!

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 – I promise.

Levi’s has a cute, new, skinny jean that is sized to fit according to your shape using a system called Levi’s Curve ID. Their website does an excellent job of explaining how to find your Curve ID, while making it easy and simple to do. What I really, really, like about this website is that I was able to see several women of my same shape and size modeling the different styles of jeans. Funny how they all seemed a little heavier than how I see myself. Maybe my bathroom scale doesn’t need a new battery after all?

I’m getting a pair of these jeans as a gift from my hubby for my upcoming birthday. Guess we’ll be ordering from their website since the nearest store to us here in Ohio that carries them is in Michigan! There’s free shipping though, maybe I’ll get dinner and a movie, too.

Tell me ladies, do you help your man pick out your gifts or do you prefer to be surprised? Men, any thoughts on gift-giving?

I began to search my mind trying to remember hearing any news of a plastic bag shortage in the area, or maybe it was a “green thing” and they were cutting back on bags and no one told me… my mind continued to race as I looked to the long line of shoppers behind me for help.

The woman directly behind me tried to be helpful and suggested that the cashier ring me up twice. The cashier made some comment about loosing her job if she rang up the fish sticks. Now my confusion began to turn to embarrassment as I told the cashier the sign posted on the freezer door said $4.99 each and the only reason I was buying them was that I was saving $2.50 on each one. To which she responded, that yes, she was aware of that…

Now my embarrassment started to turn to anger and I told her to just keep them all and let me pay for my other items so I could leave. It was at this point the cashier showed me the stores current circular. The store was having a promotion called “Celebrate Frozen Food Month – 30% Off All the Frozen Items You Can Fit in the Bag!” Apparently I had already reached my “one bag” limit and the six boxes of fish sticks would not be eligible for the 30% off — hallelujah — now I knew what she was talking about.

This store had made the following four mistakes with their advertising promotion:

1. They assumed all customers would read their circular and also understand it.

2. The promotional artwork on the circular showed two large paper shopping bags with actual handles, not the much smaller plastic bag the store actually used.

3. The circular had no disclaimer copy explaining the promotion and it’s rules.

4. The store signage did not explain the “one bag” policy or the 30% off. They posted the reduced dollar amounts ($4.99) and the dollar savings amounts ($2.50), throughout the store, with no mention of it being 30% off or of purchase limits.

I wonder if this store realized that they were leaving themselves wide open for trouble?

When two large shopping bags were shown in the advertising, it implied that those were the type of bags that would be used. This could be seen as deceptive advertising. And it gets worse, because without disclaimer copy in the circular or proper store signage, and with the reduced dollar prices and dollar savings posted on the freezer doors, plus, no purchase limits, a customer could have tried to buy ALL of EACH item posted.

Depending on the customers determination and the store’s policies, this promotion could have resulted in a lawsuit or an out-of-court settlement. However, legal action of this sort is usually saved for the chain stores where an opportunistic shopper has much more to gain.

Designers have been complaining for at least 20 years that the sale ads are too crowded. In the past, we would discuss the merchandise in meetings and the merchants could be persuaded to run less items. Today, the economy and the advertising industry are both in chaos and the merchants seem to have the upper hand. I also blame those young “whipper-snapper” designers who are still able to read small print. Just because 6 point type is available doesn’t mean you have to use it. As a matter of fact, advertising disclaimers must be at least 8 point type to meet the retail advertising regulations of some states.

Did you happen to see the “FREE Gift with $20 Purchase” offer that another Ohio-based chain store advertised over the Christmas season? The “free gift” was just an empty box—a plain, white gift box that stores like Macy’s routinely give away. The store’s Facebook fans discussed it at length and called it “CHEAP.” To quote Charlotte Beers (Advertising Hall of Fame 2009 inductee) “It’s not what you say [FREE] but what they hear [CHEAP].”

DOWNLOADS

Spring really is just around the corner, at least as far as the fashion industry is concerned. If you haven’t downloaded your “TOP 10 Colors for Spring 2010” bookmark, CLICK HERE to get yours now. Use it as a bookmark or take it along as a color guide when shopping. Graphic designers will find the CMYK values given for each color handy, too.

Looking for unique events to celebrate? CLICK HERE to download your very own “2010 Retail Promotional Calendar.” Never miss National Karaoke Week or National Bathroom Reading Month again.