2002 Olympic Team Catalog
Mailing shortly before the 2002 Olympic winter games began was none other than the U.S. Olympic Committee. In the new 16-page 2002 U.S. Team Catalog, an assortment of Olympic themed goods is offered that includes apparel (including the sought-after team beret), flags, plush animals and shot
glasses. Prices range from $6.95 for a mug to $200 for a leather jacket. Apart from its more conventional merchandise, the catalog also highlights two limited edition collectible items. Placed in the center of the book is a "pin of the day collection" ($125); only 2,002 of the 17-pin collections are available. For those looking for the thrill of winning, the opportunity to "Take Home the Gold & the Silver!" may be even more appealing. To that end, the back cover of the catalog features commemorative Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games gold and silver coins released by the U.S. Mint. The coins are available in proof and uncirculated form, and priced between $59.99 and $389.99. Also on the back cover is a reminder of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s fundraiser status, stating that catalog sales directly support America's Olympic athletes.
Norman Vincent Peale Center for Positive Thinking
A new membership offer has been tracked for the Norman Vincent Peale Center For Positive Thinking, a division of Guideposts. The inspirational ministry's 7-1/2" x 5-1/2" effort is fairly standard, consisting of a sales letter, 
reply card and brochure, but interest is aroused with a "Free Gift" teaser on the outer envelope. The freemium enclosed is a set of three postcards that feature inspirational quotes printed over awe-inspiring landscapes. Membership requires a $10 contribution, which includes a subscription to the magazine Positive Thinking. Benefits aside from the subscription include an annual desk calendar, an "action" booklet, discounts on Center for Positive Thinking merchandise, a personalized membership card (included in the package) and access to "Dial Guideposts," a telephone service providing recorded prayers and inspirational messages. For those preferring to receive the large print editions of Positive Thinking, membership dues increase by $2 ($12 total).
Columbia House
In a recent direct mail effort, a glossy #10 package, Columbia House marries its DVD club to its popular Club Musica Latina. The bilingual mail piece reads both "¡Musica y DVDs!" and "Music And Movies!" although copy in Spanish is given a larger font and overall prominence throughout (English is presented 
mostly smaller, as a translation.) The main eye candy of the piece is a membership card, visible through a cellophane window, which uses lenticular motion graphics to read either "Musica" or "DVDs" depending on the angle of the card. The offer used for this new bilingual piece is identical to past English-only efforts: 12 CDs free or 4 DVDs for 49¢ each (plus shipping & handling). The requirements for future purchase, at regular club prices, are five more CDs or six more DVDs within two years. Although the music selection is tailored to include more Latin genres, the movies are not. Pop Latino, Mexicana and Tropical join Rap Hip/Hop, Alternative, Dance/Pop and others in the music category, but the movies are all mainstream fare like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Traffic and Mummy Returns.
The direct mail pieces appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and analyzed by Paradysz Matera, New York, through its online competitive direct mail and e-mail tracking tool MarketRelevance located at http://www.MarketRelevance.com/newsletter.cfm.
