Creative Irish Gifts Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
Creative Irish Gifts geared up for St. Patrick’s Day with two editions of its Spring 2009 catalog. Following its typical strategy of highlighting various Emerald Isle locales on the cover, one pictures the Public Bar in Dublin while another shows a thatched cottage in Limerick. Many of the gifts inside the catalog prominently feature green shamrocks, such as a Flashing Shamrock Pin ($7.99) and Personalized Wedding and Anniversary Platters ($29.99 each). Some items recognize the religious roots of the holiday, like an Irish Blessing Wall Plaque ($11.99) while other gifts celebrate the culinary heritage of the Irish like the Jameson Irish Whiskey Fudge ($8.99) and McCoy’s Thick Hot Irish Sauce ($7.99). The retailer highlights its support of the Irish Children’s Fund (ICF) and the Northern Ireland Children’s Project (NICP) which look out for the welfare of Irish children who have been victims of civil unrest stemming from Protestant and Catholic conflicts. The catalogs direct customers to donate via the organizations’ websites. With $40+ orders, customers receive a Paua Shell Shamrock Necklace, an item that can also be purchased for $9.99. The most recent book touts a $4.99 flat shipping rate with orders placed online at ShopIrish.com.

Creative Girls Club Presents Crafty Continuity
Creative Girls Club, a craft kit continuity program from the Annie’s Attic division of Dynamic Resource Group (DRG), sent an introductory offer with a book freemium. The colorful package introduces the club as “Just For Girls, age 7-12” and “All-New, All-Fun.” A photo of a girl holding decorative mini clipboards features the assertion that “I made these…all by myself, without any help from my Mom & Dad!” A teaser across the bottom urges parents to act quickly for introductory savings. The back of the envelope features a starburst with a teaser for the “Free Book Inside!” The contents of the package, including a letter, lift note, and fold out insert, are aimed at parents. All the elements encourage parents to foster creativity and confidence in their daughters with a membership to the club. The “Wellspring of Magic” book freemium has a sticker on the cover that exclaims “Free Book!” and instructs the recipient to pass it along to his or her daughter or any 7-12 year old girl to “encourage her to discover and use her own special creative talents.” It also touts the continuity program as “a great way to help a girl’s creativity to blossom as never before!” The inside front and back covers of the book direct girls to CreativeGirlsClub.com to take a quiz to find out “What kind of Creative Girl are you?” The kits cover a wide variety of crafting genres, including paper, clay, needle work, painting, and jewelry-making. The introductory offer includes two craft kits priced at $1.99 each plus shipping and handling. Then, every six weeks two additional kits are sent at $7.99 per kit plus shipping and handling. A heart-shaped involvement sticker with the word “yes!” is designed to be transferred to the order form.

ANERA Mails Urgent Request
American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) mailed an “Urgent Message From ANERA’s Gaza Director.” The nonprofit organization provides developmental, health, education, and employment assistance to Palestinian refugees and other impoverished families in the Gaza region. The promotion is direct, containing just a single-sided letter that explains the worsening conditions in the area, including power outages and gas and diesel fuel shortages. Recipients are informed “We’re not giving up in Gaza – and we hope you won’t either” in all caps. The appeal encourages donations which the organization will use to fund the purchase of surgical supplies and food, to provide shelter, and work to rebuild damaged hospitals and schools. The reply form attached to the letter presents the $40/$60/$80/other ask ladder and provides an option for monthly giving.

The direct mail promotions appearing in Mail Stream are tracked and written up by ParadyszMatera, a media brokerage services company, through its MarketRelevance(tm) Promotion Library. Click here to visit their site: ParadyszMatera.com.