Every once in a while the junk mail gods deliver something that manages to survive the direct drop into the garbage can. That is the ultimate goal of the dying direct mail industry: to have someone actually look at their crap. That was the case today when I sorted through my mail. Unfortunately for Sam’s Club the reason I kept the postcard promoting “Organics For All” wasn’t because I wanted to attend the sale. I was fascinated by the unapologetic war poster style that was used. (Click on the image to the right to see for yourself.) Anyone with an ounce of propaganda poster knowledge will immediately recognize the style that the postcard is mimicing. Here are a few hauntingly similar examples that immediately come to mind:
.

This is another example in a long list of design mistakes that we have talked about on this blog. Some are more extreme than others, but they all make the same mistake. They are willing to sell a product at any cost. In a climate where it seems that design’s only purpose is to sell something (popcorn, design shows, cartoons, political agendas, etc.) where do we draw the line? Can we draw a line? Often it feels like there are very few people complaining and it seems like nobody even notices the atrocities. Even when design sins make it onto the general public’s radar the publicity actually helps promote the product! It is enough to make a “moral” designer want to throw in the towel. I guess this isn’t the first time I have been shocked by junk mail, but it sure is frustrating.

Remember that direct mail piece I showed you with the naked girl in the bathtub? While it may have been an impressive display of “one-to-one marketing” apparently it wasn’t appreciated by everyone who received it. I thought I would share a follow-up letter I received today from Toby Gadd, president of Montage Graphics who sent the mailing.