American Express Targets Small Biz Market
For no cost, businesses can join Open: The Small Business Network and receive discounts on business supplies and services "big and small, from phone service to printer paper." A shrink-wrapped, blue translucent carrier snaps open on one side, like a CD case, but rather than holding a disk, the contents are mostly paper, including an invitation-style letter and survey on iridescent, high-quality paper, plus a BRE. One important non-paper item is plastic -- a mock gift card to Staples with artwork depicting several sharpened pencils. With the pun-intended invitation "Can We Pencil You In?" recipients are invited to volunteer information about their spending needs in exchange for a $25 gift award at Staples. A brief letter explains three ways to get the office supplies store credit: call to speak with a Small Business Consultant, return the enclosed brief survey, dubbed a "Spending Profile," or visit open.americanexpress.com/staples. American Express also mailed a similar plastic piece with a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble instead of Staples. UCLA Healthy Years Appeals to Seniors
A recent mailing from UCLA Healthy Years calls out to seniors with a headline adorning the outer envelope that reads, "Inside: Your 65th Birthday Present!*" 
The asterisk then adds, "We apologize if it's a little late... or a little early!" The newsletter, produced jointly by Belvoir Media Group and UCLA's Division of Geriatrics, is dedicated to helping readers age "healthfully," avoiding "disease, disability and depression" throughout the golden years. The 6" x 9" package is a typical Belvoir effort, more similar to a consumer magazine mailing than a newsletter promotion. A green and blue color scheme is incorporated into each of the package's components, with the exception of the business reply envelope. Creatively, those components (a six-page letter, brochure and lift note) focus more heavily on the overall pursuit of healthy aging rather than specific newsletter content, appealing primarily to the reader's emotions. An involvement sticker promotes a "Free Premier Issue" as part of the $20 soft charter offer. In total, 11 issues are given in addition to the free issue.
Lighthouse International Mails Address Labels
Lighthouse International, an organization dedicated to overcoming the obstacles associated with vision impairment, recently mailed an address label package to solicit donors for its 2005 Annual Fund. 
The address label package is the first of its kind tracked from the organization, which has mailed note card and bookmark freemiums in the past. Attached to the oversized sheet of floral labels, the reply form is personalized and informs recipients of the growing number of visually impaired citizens. The nonprofit works on behalf of those who are partially sighted or blind to develop rehabilitation services, offer education, fund research, and prevent vision loss. To stress its need, Lighthouse estimates that the number of visually impaired Americans is "expected to grow to 20 million" by 2010. The reverse lists the most common causes of vision loss, which include Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Cataracts and Diabetic Retinopathy. Accompanying these four listings are warning signs as well as sample vision perspectives of what it is like to live with each one of these disabling impairments. A brief two-page note from president and CEO Barbara Silverstone reiterates the organization's mission in addition to encouraging contributions, which can be made along the $10/$15/$20/other ask ladder.
The direct mail promotions appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and analyzed by ParadyszMatera, a media brokerage services company, through its MarketRelevance(tm) Promotion Library. Click here to visit their site: ParadyszMatera.com.
