The Ferrett ([info]theferrett) wrote,
@ 2005-02-09 11:32:00
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Current mood: impressed

Now That's Clever

Your Satanically-insidious marketing touch for the day:

The investment brochure I got in the mail today had the now-standard "the writing on the envelope is in blue ink and a hand-written font to make it look like personal correspondence" trick. That's nothing unusual.

The "hand-written" note at the bottom of the envelope, which came complete with carefully-retouched ink smears to look like the ink had run in the rain, was magnificent.


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[info]fairy_dianae
2005-02-09 08:56 am UTC (link)
But did it have water stains/marks?? Paper just isn't the same after it dries...

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[info]interactiveleaf
2005-02-09 08:58 am UTC (link)
That's lovely. Just peachy. They're getting better all the time.

And, in case you haven't seen it yet, http://cooltech.iafrica.com/technews/411182.htm

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[info]zeostaryu
2005-02-09 09:56 am UTC (link)
Now that's pretty entertaining. heh Guess it kinda serves them right. :)

I had a similar letter that was "handwritten" to me from Cingular when they took over AT&T's wireless phones. I had to closely examine the ink because it was far too good and "neat" to be truly handwritten.

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[info]hookncrook
2005-02-09 09:05 am UTC (link)
I got one of those yesterday and worse, it had just rained so I almost fell for it until I realized all the letters lookes suspiciously the same... even with the 'runny' ink.

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[info]andrieal
2005-02-09 09:11 am UTC (link)
*dies laughing*

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[info]eksistenze
2005-02-09 09:24 am UTC (link)
I like in stores where they have the stick on price tags but with a red "X" through it and a new price written in. I did fall for that one but then I went back to the store and notice that all the red ink was written exactly the same.

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[info]evilbutcute
2005-02-09 09:34 am UTC (link)
My SO just got the same thing and remarked as to how he was almost tricked for a moment because of the "handwritten" script.

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[info]richtermom
2005-02-09 09:58 am UTC (link)
Yeah. Direct Marketing keeps coming up with new stuff. For a while, they thought it was cool to have no return address so it would at least get opened -- then the anthrax mailings started. So then they started doing more "personal" touches -- a big technological leap is the industrial "post it's" that stay put on the outside of mail with notes like "check out page X" or "Don't forget to order Y" in script. I was laid off from my direct-marketing job over a year ago, but I loved hearing about all the different testable variables and stuff. Whee. (Hey, don't hate me -- I was in business-to-business!)

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[info]jfs
2005-02-09 10:19 am UTC (link)
I received a direct mail advert a little while ago that had a 'handwritten' post it note on the letter that said something along the lines of

"Shirley, make sure this letter only goes out to our A++ client list"

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[info]lizbeth_r9
2005-02-09 10:23 am UTC (link)
It shows they care enough to go to the effort :)

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I didn't request this!
(Anonymous)
2005-02-09 11:40 am UTC (link)
A similar touch I've been meaning to scan and post for a while now: printing a "distress mark" on the envelope that makes it look like the envelope contains a credit card that's run through some rubber-wheel sorters and left a faint imprint on the envelope. It is, as was yours, absolutely magnificent work.

-1em

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Re: I didn't request this!
(Anonymous)
2005-02-09 03:31 pm UTC (link)
Posted: http://meyerweb.com/eric/thoughts/2005/02/09/very-sneaky/

Not the world's best scan, but hey, it's what five minutes gets you.

-1em

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[info]sageautumn
2005-02-09 12:46 pm UTC (link)
I'll all for sealing the return postage paid envelopes and dropping them in the mail---empty and blank.

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[info]koikuri
2005-02-09 01:33 pm UTC (link)
even better: stuff everything they sent you into the postage-paid return envelope and drop that in the mail - costs them more that way. seems excessively mean to me, but my mom (a fervent pro-lifer) does it to planned parenthood and such when they send solicitations.

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[info]draconisuk
2005-02-09 02:48 pm UTC (link)
Why leave it at that? Start sending them back attached to bricks, and they'll get the point (and the bill) soon enough.

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Yes
(Anonymous)
2005-11-15 07:12 pm UTC (link)
I always do that to all the unsolicited mail I receive that has return postage. If you REALLY want to get them, tape that envelope on top of a box of rocks!

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[info]apostate_96
2005-02-09 03:30 pm UTC (link)
You know it. Wherever there's the chance to get more money, people will get sneaky and creative. This is just the latest example. And much though I hate this real-world spam, I do have to give them credit for attending to the details in this regard.

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[info]noacat
2005-02-09 05:28 pm UTC (link)
...those investment bastards are gettin' sneaky.

Is it okay that I'm kind of afraid now?

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[info]batshua
2005-02-09 06:04 pm UTC (link)
That is both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

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I would love to see a copy of that someday...
[info]mp_reyart
2005-02-09 06:31 pm UTC (link)
...but as I don't exist on many peoples' marketing list, I doubt I will anytime soon. Mind posting a photo or emailing one?

-M.P.

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Got one with a Coffee Stain
(Anonymous)
2005-02-11 03:08 pm UTC (link)
... you know, a brown ring on the envelope. Of course, I looked and saw a screen in the stain, so I knew it was a fake right away, but it would probably fool some people!

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[info]athanata
2005-02-15 05:10 pm UTC (link)
i'm rather partial to the "fake post-it note" line of advertising myself...

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