A DIRECT MAIL PACKAGE we recently received urges us to preserve “key wildlife habitat” by eating its denizens.
An enclosed catalog, from Lander, WY-based Conservation Beef, includes scenic vistas of Madison Valley, MT, interspersed with some well-marbled cuts of beef from cattle that roam those vistas.
The cover letter explains that the cattle are raised without being fed growth hormones, and that the ranchers tending them have made a commitment to environmentally friendly land stewardship practices.
The letter touts several benefits all at once: the hormone-free diet of the cattle, the environmentally sound raising methods and the flavor of the meat. Matching the chaotic message, the letter’s design is terrifically reliant on boldface and underlined words.
Prospects receiving the meat mailing range from those wanting to contribute to one of the ancillary conservation organizations mentioned (The Artemis Wildlife Foundation and The Nature Conservancy) to those simply wanting to order steaks. It’s a limited market that will be interested in both, and an even more limited market that will wade through this package to find the order form.
Those wishing to make a contribution without buying a steak are out of luck: While this may have been by design (to keep the focus on the sale of steaks) it raises the question about whether Conservation Beef’s commitment is to conservation or commerce.
The letter should take its cue from the catalog, which uses clean lines, simple but evocative text, and photography that ranges from scenic to mouth-watering to get its messages across.
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