And the Winners Are …

Complaining about being limited to 5 as the highest points value he could award in the judging categories, one of our judges unabashedly called this mailing from Habitat for Humanity the “best package I’ve ever seen … with incredible results to boot.”

It’s a beautiful and powerful thing when messaging and imaging come together to communicate a common theme that’s woven throughout all the elements of a direct-mail package — and even more beautiful when a unique freemium ties it all together.

In this mailing, Habitat forgoes the oft-employed direct-mail freemiums, and opts instead for a branded tape measure. Why a tape measure? An image of a tape measure stretched across the face of the yellow No. 10 carrier asks the same question.

The question is answered in the headline at the top of the four-page, 8.5-inch-by-11-inch letter. Below the Habitat for Humanity logo is the same tape measure image used on the carrier and the headline: “It’s not just a tape measure. It’s a measure of compassion.” The letter explains that the tape measure can be used by recipients and serve as a reminder to them of the work Habitat does. It also is a symbol of a measure of donors’ compassion: “Like every other tool and material we use … each tape measure, hammer, nail, floorboard and window … is provided through the generosity and compassion of people who care, like you.”

The letter goes on to tell the story of one of the families in need that Habitat was able to help, and woven through the story is the theme of a measure: “So by the time the last piece of lumber is measured, final nail is pounded …”; “With just a small measure of empathy from you today …”; and “By any measure, the Habitat program is an incredible success.”