New Logo, Dimensions from Lillian Vernon
Separating the words "Lillian" and "Vernon" is a silhouetted image of a woman carrying two shopping bags. The logo's positioning, set slightly above center, flows naturally with the cover photo of what appears to be a mother and daughter in embrace, with complementary handbags. The second adaptation is more radical, as the catalog size has moved from its squarish 7-3/4" x 8" design to more customary 10" x 8" dimensions. The added space afforded by the expanded dimensions may not lead to an increased product selection, however, as the number of pages has been reduced to 72 from the 84 to 120 seen in past editions of the catalog. Lillian Vernon's recent changes have not appeared to affect the mailer's use of incentives. The catalog offers two long-standing staples, free shipping with $40+ orders and deferred payment with credit card orders, communicated, as usual, via a large gold sticker conspicuously placed on the front cover. Admiral Nimitz Foundation Honors Veterans of the Pacific War
More than 60 years ago, American involvement in World War II began with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and over the next four years, the ocean served as the theater for countless battles. 
In a recent 12" x 9" jumbo package, the Admiral Nimitz Foundation asks for support of the National Museum of the Pacific War to honor the heroism and sacrifice of the many soldiers who fought and died on the Pacific while serving America. One of the stories that the fundraiser strives to preserve for posterity is told in the package's eight-page letter. Authored by Richard K. Rohde, Radioman 3rd Class, USNR, the letter gives a firsthand account of the "Battle Off Samar," an encounter between a seemingly overmatched American task force named Taffy 3 and a 23-boat armada of Japanese warships. Rohde's visceral retelling of events, in which Taffy 3 scored "the most improbable victory in the history of the United States Navy," is a perfect introduction to the museum itself, as both accomplish a shared goal of transporting the audience into the heat of battle. The ask ladder for a charter membership is unusual, set at $29/$49/$79/$100/other. A reprint of the St. Louis Star-Times from December 8th 1941 reporting the attack on Pearl Harbor is given as an incentive with donations of $29 or more. At each subsequent donation level, a step-up premium is added: a limited edition cap at $49, a book entitled "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers" at $79 and an autographed copy of the book at $100.
Inside Walleye Insider's Latest Voucher
Assuming a familiarity with a certain large North American freshwater fish so named for its prominent eyes, Walleye In-Sider sent prospective subscribers a bare-bones, direct mail voucher package containing little more than a slim insert and an order form. 
A white 4-1/4" x 8" envelope carried a hard offer of $9.98, which buys one year (six issues) of the specialty fishing title from In-Fisherman magazine. To encourage orders, subscribers are given a premium on payment: a camouflage-patterned cooler bag "to keep icy-cold beverages at your side all day long." The premium is promoted on the back of a thin insert, the inside of which depicts two sample covers and a photo of a fishing boat speeding by. The simple order form contrasts the discounted price ($9.98) with the total annual newsstand cost ($23.94) and shows the total discount percent (58%). Subscriptions are billed annually "just like your newspaper," rather than renewed. The mail piece terms this "continuous service," a term often associated with credit card auto-billing, although credit cards are not involved in this case.
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.
