New “old school” direct response flyer

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SARubin
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New “old school” direct response flyer

Post by SARubin »

Like the title indicates, this “old school” direct response piece recently came to me in the mail.

It was an insert in one of those circulars that sometimes show up on the weekends.


Anyway, when I saw this piece I couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic.

What I mean is, with online advertising being all the rage, I still enjoy and appreciate seeing the classic old school methods still in the game. And I thought it would make a great topic for this post.

Now I don’t want to sway your opinion one way or the other, but I will say… I see a lot of POWERFUL elements going on in this piece.

The company is out of Littleton, NH (which is only an hour or so from where I live) so I’m thinking of driving up there and asking someone what the response rates were for this piece. Maybe they’ll tell me, maybe they won’t, but it can’t hurt to ask.

And as I sit here, about to pay the “old school” way (send in the order form with a personal check) I honestly don’t which one I’m more excited about… The 9 pennies I just paid 3 bucks for… Or the follow up marketing that’s sure to start showing up in my mailbox.

advertisement_complete-penney-set-min.jpg


I just spent a few minutes checking off some of the good, and the not so good, elements that I see going on here. And here’s a couple of things that instantly caught my eye.

Good:
  • The big red “YES” already checked, presents a subtle forward momentum towards accepting the offer
  • The word “FREE” prominently displayed in and around the order form (FREE shipping and the FREE gift)
  • Money back guarantee near the order form
  • Clear, and large image so you can actually see what you’re getting
  • The words “Complete design set spans 150 years” sounds much bigger and bolder than just saying “9 pennies”
Not so good:
  • No phone number to place an order, and no website ordering option on the order form itself (although it does include a website option further down the page)
  • The starburst call-out that says “only 2.95” - not sure about putting that right next to a picture of a few pennies (3 dollars looks expensive next to a picture of a few pennies)


There’s a couple other things I like about this piece, and a couple more that I don’t like. But my question for you is…

What good stuff do think this piece has going for it? (Or what do you think could make it better and more persuasive?)
A good marketer knows how to think like a marketer - A great marketer learns how to think like the customer...
SARubin - Direct Response Copywriter / Conversion Flow Expert
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