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Best Direct Mail Campaigns: Happy Holidays
Direct Mail
October 10, 2023

Best Direct Mail Campaigns: Happy Holidays

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by 
Stephanie Donelson

Each month we feature some pieces from our best direct mail campaigns collection that inspire our own direct mail marketing efforts, and we hope they inspire yours as well.

Today, we’re highlighting some brands that are sending creative and festive holiday direct mail campaigns. Let’s take a closer look at three brands that are sending out great mail just in time for the holiday season.

Amazon holiday catalog
Amazon holiday catalog
A holiday catalog from Amazon

Amazon

Amazon, the e-commerce giant, uses a physical touchpoint with customers to promote online holiday shopping. Let’s see why this piece of direct mail is effective:

  • Format: This catalog is a great example of using physical marketing in an online shopping world. Plus, Amazon includes stickers so kids can mark items they want to add to their wishlist.
  • QR code: Not only does the catalog have a QR code on the cover in case consumers want to get right to shopping, but each item in the catalog has a QR code making it easier to buy right away. Remember the good old days of catalogs where you had to write down the product SKU that was a lovely mix of letters and numbers and then fill out a paper form or call a customer service representative? Catalogs are a great direct mail format to let consumers browse on their terms and then buy when ready with the aid of a quick scan QR code.
  • Preference center: An interesting addition to this piece of mail is the opt-out message right under the QR code. This helps establish trust with consumers as they can choose to update their preferences and tell Amazon exactly how they want to be marketed to.
Coupon holiday mailer from Red Hawk Realty
Coupon mailer from Red Hawk Realty
A holiday coupon direct mail campaign from Red Hawk Realty

Red Hawk Realty

Red Hawk Realty, a California-based real estate organization, leverages direct mail in its holiday campaign by sending out coupons to support the local community and as a brand awareness touchpoint to keep the business top of mind in case any recipient is looking at a real estate purchase. Let’s take a closer look at its holiday direct mail campaign:

  • Copy: The copy isn’t salesy. It’s a simple happy holidays campaign with coupons to local businesses as most consumers are looking to save during the holiday season. There is a banner at the bottom of the mailer reminding recipients of its services, but no CTA to do anything besides save with the coupons.
  • Images: The mailer also feels like a holiday card with a photo of the Red Hawk Realty team, adding a personal and human touch to the direct mail campaign.
  • Design: The design feels very seasonal with the green trees, blue backgrounds, and red and white coloring. Even the fonts have a holiday feel to them.
Holiday direct mail from USPS
USPS holiday mail
Mailer from USPS
A holiday direct mail campaign from USPS

USPS

USPS knows mail. And its own marketing and communications team is following some great best practices when it comes to sending a great direct mail campaign, especially during the busy holiday season. Let’s see what’s working for this self-mailer:

  • Copy: USPS is all about evoking emotions and using clever copy on this mailer. They don’t come down chimneys but they do make deliveries. USPS wants your holiday to be magical and sparkly and uses those specific words in the copy, even in the URL! There’s also an emphasis on the word priority and reminding consumers how to make sure their mail gets delivered on time.
  • Design and colors: This mailer feels like the holiday season with the twinkly lights in the tree, the USPS truck ornament, the blue tone, the bright red accents, and even the stamp with the red bow. You know immediately this mailer is seasonal and all about the holidays.
  • QR code: USPS includes a QR code to make it easy to get to the website and check out the online shop.
  • Sustainability: This mailer features the FSC logo and a recycle logo to show that it was made with responsibly-sourced materials, and reminds recipients to recycle the mailer when done shopping at The Postal Store.
Holiday eBook cover image

Get your holiday campaigns out for delivery

You saw examples of real-world holiday direct mail campaigns; now learn how to create your own with our eBook: A Data-Driven Guide to Holiday Direct Mail Success.

Recommended resources

Resource Roundup: Your Reference Guide to Sleigh Holiday Marketing

Marketing Checklist for Holiday Campaigns

5 Things To Try in Your Direct Mail - Based on Real Results

Eye on Direct Mail: The Pull of Tactile Marketing in a Digital World

The Power of Direct Mail infographic

Meet your marketing goals one direct mail campaign at a time

When it comes to creating a great direct mail campaign, you don’t have to start from scratch. Explore our best direct mail collection to find ideas of what you can incorporate into your next mailpiece or what elements you should be testing to further optimize your own marketing campaigns.

Curious to learn more about using direct mail alongside email marketing in your organization? Talk to one of our direct mail experts to see how easy it is to get started with Lob’s direct mail automation software.

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