Welcome to the J&C direct mail design studio

Are you interested in learning how an effective direct mail package comes together? Well, you’ve come to the right place. The Jacobs & Clevenger direct mail design studio master class is now in session.

We will begin by studying the design and format of a traditional direct mail package. And by traditional, we mean a direct mail package that utilizes direct mail best practices but is also visually impactful and creatively compelling.

Let’s examine the components of a unique direct mail package that does exactly that. All of the individual components within the direct mail package are laid out together to the left. This display clearly illustrates how direct mail design and format can work successfully together to create a complete campaign theme across all the components. The direct mail package consists of:

As we continue our session today we will study the individual design characteristics of each component. And by reviewing the overall look and feel of the package, we will clearly see how each component came to life through the creation of unique, thoughtful campaign imagery and how it defined a conceptual idea.

Design overview:
This direct mail example was an acquisition campaign designed to increase the membership base of a large organization. Many members viewed their local chapters as the “face” of the organization. Therefore, it was imperative to build a conceptual approach that touched on the most compelling benefits. The creative took a highly conceptual visual approach. The main campaign imagery consisted of a smartphone with “bubble devices” that featured a conversation between a current member and a prospective member. Additional imagery of road signs were integrated into the direct mail design to further enhance the idea of navigating the marketing landscape.

Furthermore, all of the components in this direct mail example were designed to unify the campaign imagery and support action-oriented messaging with multiple calls-to-action throughout.

Now let’s break down the creative approach for each component to truly understand how direct mail design and format can impact the presentation and leave a positive impression.

Outer envelope
Design overview:
The outer envelope, or OE, had several unique design characteristics and was formatted to be slightly oversized to stand apart from any competitive mail clutter. In addition, both the front and back of the OE featured the campaign imagery in a panoramic presentation that illustrated the conceptual landscape of today’s marketing professional.

Operational considerations such as the indicia and mailing window were positioned precisely.

Design elements:
Identity
When it is imperative to know who the mailing is from, position the logo in the upper left-hand corner along with the return address.
Primary message
Prominence is key when positioning the main messaging for maximum impact and to create a sense of urgency. We used bold type along with color to accent key benefits and offers.

Letter and response device
Design overview:
The most important and most read component in the direct mail package is the letter. Therefore, utilizing simple design techniques ultimately improves the appearance and organization of the information presented. Through proper formatting, the letter structure came into shape within a grid foundation. Key content and vital information was organized to achieve a concise, easy-to-read presentation. Visuals of the road signs from the campaign were used sparingly and featured the offers.

Design elements:
Identity
Positioning the identity or logo in a prominent place within the body of the letter was essential to its success and showed legitimacy. We typically design the direct mail letter with the identity at the top right-hand or top left-hand side of the letter.
Primary message
The messaging should reflect the campaign theme as well as clearly represent the offer. Bold, stylized fonts were used to get attention and visual impact was achieved through selective colors.
Content positioning within the direct mail letter
A traditional format technique positioned the main body content of the direct mail letter to the left-hand column. Within the body of the letter, content reinforced the benefits of becoming a member, the multiple offers and the call-to-action.
Right-rail content within the direct mail letter
A tried-and-true design technique for a letter format is adding a second column, called the right rail, that reinforces pertinent information and overall benefits.
Call-to-action
A call-to-action was integrated multiple times within the letter format, including the main content area, the right rail and visual design elements.
Response device
The detailed response device was a crucial component to the direct mail package. It was designed to back up and immediately follow the letter. The appearance of the response device was structured to be easy to follow and easy to complete. The columned format of the layout provided plenty of room to complete all the necessary requests for information from member publications and local chapters’ special interest groups.

Brochure
Design overview:
The third component in the direct mail package was the brochure and, just like the OE, it featured the smartphone in the hands of a potential member. The format of the brochure was slightly smaller to stand apart from the letter. The road signs appeared again, featuring the multiple offers and directing potential members down the road to decision making.

Design elements:
Identity
Always position the identity or logo on the front of the brochure as well as the inside of the brochure.
Content positioning within the brochure
The format of the brochure allowed for flexibility in design and placement of the imagery and content. While it should reinforce all the benefits of becoming a member, a brochure is a more creative presentation of those benefits and should stand apart from the letter.
Call-to-action
The call-to-action was integrated throughout the brochure and was featured as a design element front and center on the road signs.

Buckslip
Design overview:
The buckslip was designed as a two-sided component to the direct mail package. The primary purpose of the front side of the buckslip was to prominently call out in detail the two offers of the campaign, while the reverse side allowed space to further promote the online benefits of membership. The visual imagery was evolved further to give a fresh appearance to the road signs and help differentiate the buckslip from other components in this direct mail example.

Design elements are similar to other components as follows:
Identity
The identity or logo was positioned on both sides of the buckslip.
Primary message delivered with urgency
Prominence is key when positioning the main messaging for maximum impact and to create a sense of urgency. We used bold type along with color to accent key benefits and offers.
Call-to-action
The call-to-action was integrated throughout the content and featured in prime position at the top of the insert in a graphic header.

Customizable insert
Design overview:
The insert was designed to be a cost-effective, customizable component for the local chapters to promote dynamic events and other interests to potential members. Inserts are an effective versioning tool, and historically the more elements within a direct mail package, the better the response. The campaign imagery was featured throughout and visually spoke to the local chapters.

Design elements:
Identity
The local chapters’ logo was featured prominently on the front side of the insert along with the identity of the organization.
Customization
The reverse side of the insert was designed to allow local chapters multiple areas for customization. Local chapters could list upcoming events, local networking opportunities and community involvement.

And now that we have reviewed all the components of a direct mail package, we come to the conclusion of today’s direct mail design studio master class. We have learned that utilizing best practices for direct mail can create impactful communications through the use of impactful imagery, thoughtful design and unique formats.

To learn more and understand the full potential of direct mail, read our blog on 10 Best Practices for Direct Mail.