Direct choice: Norwich Union

An oversized buff-coloured envelope marked 'Please do not bend, X-rays enclosed' lands on your doormat. Alarmed, you open it and there is an authentic-looking facsimile of an X-ray featuring the pelvis, hip and femur. After a bit of studying you notice that there is a zipper, some small change and a paper clip in an otherwise empty pocket. Then you notice that the text on the X-ray says 'Private health care for just £1 per day' and includes a telephone number and a website address. A nice point succinctly made - Norwich Union Healthcare doesn't cost a fortune. It gets your attention and you get the joke - good news for Norwich Union.

But what if you, or your partner, are waiting for hospital results? What if someone in your household has a terminal illness? All of a sudden, what can amuse thousands can also upset and alienate.

This is an interesting piece of creative, but is it the recipe for a successful marketing campaign? Cutting through the clutter and avoiding the bin is one thing that is increasingly hard to achieve these days, but side-stepping the issue that people might find your mailing upsetting or stressful is another.

With this form of DM delivery there is little control over whose door the mailshot goes through.

- Direct agency: Bright.

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