A Good Deed for the Boy Scouts

My fundraising package for the Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America doesn’t have a lot of copy. There’s no informative four-page letter, no glossy brochure, no carefully crafted lift note highlighting BSA’s programs and good works.

Everyone knows the Boy Scouts. If you love them, you probably contribute. If not, this mailing reminds you what Scouting is all about.

The old control connected with the core constituency. Copy said BSA helps to “ … instill strong moral values and character in our youth … and help them become responsible citizens.”

A worthy and credible claim, yes. But it was too warm, fuzzy and general to get fence sitters to write checks.

The package was holding its own, but I knew we could improve results by doing a better job defining the Scouts’ wholesome image and increasing reader involvement.

A back-to-basics appeal
When assigned, I briefly considered mentioning BSA’s legal troubles in recent years but decided not to do so directly. It’s best not to open a can of worms that dilutes this message: The Boy Scouts is all about helping boys. Period.

Its own materials say it best. The Scout law, oath, motto and slogan indicate what BSA is all about. New Boy Scouts are required to memorize these sayings; I assumed many ex-Scouts and Scout parents receiving this mailing would also know them.

For this reason, I put at least one of these items on every component except the reply envelope. I took a one-two-punch approach with copy that promises BSA will “uphold traditional American values” and BSA materials that show how it accomplishes this goal.

Inexpensive art can work
My assignment was to work with the control’s existing modest format. Components included a closed-face, 4-and-1⁄8-inch-by-8-and-7⁄8-inch outer envelope produced in-line with a short computer letter and a chopped donation slip. The control also had a reply envelope.

Fundraising graphics must never look like contributions are being spent on expensive mailings; they should appear to be a cut below commercial mail. When I decided to use a photo on the outer envelope, I opted for a less-expensive-looking, blue-and-white shot instead of black-and-white photography.

This gives the mailing the desired neat-but-needy look up front. Also, using red and blue inks on white paper establishes a patriotic color scheme for this “as American as mom’s apple pie” client.

Use quick emotion
Next to the photo of two serious-looking Scouts, large personalized copy on the outer envelope reads: “We need your help, Mr. XXX.” It’s a quick, heart-tugging, visual approach that’s tough for any Scout supporter to toss.

The return address is the Boy Scouts of America Los Angeles’ office, and three red BSA eagle emblems on the front and back make it very clear who this letter is from. Smaller red teaser copy reads, “FREE GIFT INSIDE.”

On the back, the envelope flap’s “Save traditional American values” teaser has these BSA sayings under it:

Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, reverent.

Scout Oath: On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Motto: Be prepared.

Scout Slogan: Do a good turn daily.

Get readers involved
Most good direct mail gets the reader physically involved by using an action device. Once you get the reader to do something (such as detaching a membership card or moving a token), there’s a better chance he or she will buy something or donate. We didn’t have the budget for bells and whistles here, but that didn’t mean we had to go without any involvement. The reader is asked to check off a box and then sign and return the Scout oath as a way of showing support for the Scouts.

The letter/oath panel features a second reproduction of the Boy Scout oath against the eye-catching red-and-white, flag-style background. Under the oath is a signature line preceded by: “I endorse this Oath and want the Boy Scouts to continue to instill traditional American values in our nation’s youth.”

Response copy to the right of the Scout oath urges the reader to sign, detach and return the oath with a contribution.

Driving home the point
In a short letter at the top of this panel, instead of discussing BSA’s legal problems, I mentioned BSA’s role in a society with conflicting values: “ … the Boy Scouts of America have been striving to uphold traditional American values. We are determined to stand strong against all pressures and any demands in the future that we become more politically correct.

“Help us fight to preserve honesty, respect and personal integrity in our nation’s youth. A whole generation of kids — and the very future of America — is at risk!”

Informed readers inferred this was about BSA’s recent legal history, while others weren’t distracted. Everyone understood this SPECIAL APPEAL’s urgency. The back of the letter/oath panel features Scout law.

The in-line, chopped reply form continues the outer envelope’s red-white-and-blue visual motif. The ask string is lasered in black, giving BSA the option to raise donation amounts in future mailings to established donors. On the back is the Scout oath again. The idea was to make it impossible to even glance at this piece without seeing at least one of the Scout sayings.

In this test package, I added a pre-printed, 2-inch-by-7-inch, red-white-and-blue Scout law bookmark on coated card stock. This is the “FREE GIFT” mentioned on the outer envelope. This freemium uses the tried-and-true technique of sending an unsolicited gift. It’s a subtle way of making the prospect feel guilty about keeping something from a charity without contributing.

This package beat the control and produced an 8.48 percent response by involving prospects with the sign-and-return Scout oath; adding the Scout law bookmark freemium; reproducing BSA sayings eight separate times; and featuring copy that doesn’t get in the way of BSA’s widely respected materials.

Tom Meyer is a freelance copywriter who has written more than 100 direct-mail control packages. He was former creative director of Polk Direct. You can reach him at justincredibletom@msn.com.

This article appeared in the April 2005 issue of Inside Direct Mail.