Fratelli Carli Targets U.S.
Italian olive oil producer Fratelli Carli recently targeted U.S. cooks with an incentive-filled introductory offer for Olio Carli Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The promotion introduces the product by playing up its popularity and nearly 100-year history. As part of its pitch, the sales letter reveals a surprising statistic little known to stateside consumers; currently 700,000 Italians receive home delivery of olive oil, "just the way milk used to be delivered to the home in the U.S." The offer is for 6 half-liter bottles of oil for $29.99 (a 50% savings off the regular price of $59.99) with "no club to join" or future commitments. The deal also includes free shipping and handling along with multiple gifts. Premiums include a Carli apron with matching tea towel with any order and a white ceramic decanter for responses within 10 days. Two crests grace the sales letter signifying Olio Carli as official supplier to the Papal Establishment since 1927 as well as the Italian Royal Family since 1937.

AFAR: Not Your Typical Travel Title
AFAR is a new independent magazine dedicated to experiential travel and cultural exploration slated to launch this summer. Two 6" x 9" packages (identical except for price) arrived presenting a soft charter offer. To set the title apart, the envelope presents an intriguing clarification: "Any similarity between AFAR and other travel magazines is purely coincidental." The letter inside emphasizes who the San Francisco-based magazine is targeting: "If your idea of travel is staying at a big-name chain hotel, touching every attraction in the guidebook, eating what you eat at home, and being in bed by 9 p.m., we're afraid that AFAR might not be for you." The letter also addresses why the magazine is launching now: "?if the last several months have taught us anything, it's that wealth, possessions, and stature are fleeting -- and that what matters most are experiences, interactions with people, newfound knowledge, and the feeling of being engaged in a community and the world." A bright blue lift note from the founder borrows a line from Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" ("And you may ask yourself, well... How Did I Get Here??) Inside the insert, Greg Sullivan shares his love for travel -- "the people you meet and the insights you glean" -- presented in stark contrast to his first European tour bus experience. Planned magazine editorial includes articles on Thailand's back country, Peru's fossil rich desert, and Nigeria's booming film industry. A full color insert offers five profiles of people with unique travel stories and experiences, like Jackson, who got on the wrong bus in Dakar Senegal and wound up with an experience of a lifetime. The "Free Trial Issue Order Form" features spots for the three involvement stickers: "Yes," "No," and "Maybe" with both the "Yes" and "Maybe" beginning the soft offer. The two annual subscription rates tracked for the bimonthly are $19.95 and $23.95.

Credo Mobile Targets Progressives with Tongue in Cheek
Credo Mobile, a division of Working Assets, used Rush Limbaugh as a mock-spokesman to win over progressive mobile phone users. Working Assets operates mobile, long distance, and credit card services; it makes donations to liberal charities based on customers' use. The #10 package reads "Rush Limbaugh Says: Don't Switch to Credo." Inside the package, a simulated note from the number one conservative voice asks, "Thinking of Switching from AT&T? What's Your Rush?" The mock Limbaugh message encourages complacency by saying "you progressives finally got what you wanted. Bush and Cheney are out. Barack's in. So you can calm down now. Mission accomplished." The true sales letter explains that the company donates to nonprofits such as the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, and Credo is also the first mobile phone company to offset its carbon emissions and print its bills on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. A full-color brochure offers a contract buyout of up to $200 and a choice of three phones. Plans start at 200/600/1,350 anytime minutes for $29.99/$49.99/$79.99. Family plans are also available. Credo Mobile operates on the Sprint Network. According to the mailing, Working Assets has donated over $60 million to nonprofit organizations since its founding in 1985.

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.