Work Direct-Mail Magic with Unusual Printed Pieces

When you’re creating direct-mail marketing pieces, sometimes simple—a postcard, for example—is good. But at other times, you need something unusual and exciting. In those cases, consider the 10 proprietary and branded direct-mail solutions I’ve compiled here. They all have different products, specialties, and services.
Don’t let the proprietary nature of some of these products scare you away. Depending on quantity and other factors, some of them can cost more than a conventional project; however, considering the increased response rate you can expect when your piece goes to a targeted list, the true value for the dollar is hard to ignore.
1. Structural Graphics
Structural Graphics is one of my favorite direct-mail (DM) companies, and that’s why they’re first on this list. Armed with a staff of skilled paper engineers and designers, Structural Graphics has 50 patents and 50,000 designs under their belt. They offer technologies to integrate targeted marketing, variable data, PURLs, lights, sound and more into your custom DM solution. Short on time? They even have a line of products they call “RocketShip Solutions” that can be produced in as few as 10 days.
Popular Products: The Flapper, Book Cube, The Extendo, MagnaPop, 4-Window Pull

2. Z-Card
The Z-CARD PocketMedia format lends itself to any situation where you need to get a large amount of information into a small package. Z-CARDs are also great for direct mail: They fold into a compact format and can be glued into a printed piece or self-mailed. Available in custom shapes, personalization, and a variety of formats, Z-CARD has mastered the automated production of its product and can efficiently produce quantities that range from small to the millions. They can also accept printed materials and convert them.
Popular Products: Z-Card, K-Card, C-Card, Self-Mailing Z-Card

3. PopOut Products
The
PopOut product is a high-impact and dimensional. It can finish very flat yet expand into a large burst of graphics when opened. The format is closely associated with PopOut’s patented commercial product the PopOut Map, and therefore it’s often typecast as being reserved for maps. However, the PopOut format is wonderful for large graphics, marketing, and promotion, as well as for maps and information graphics.
Popular Products: Single PopOut, Double PopOut, Popout with Booklet, Single PopOut with Gatefold, PopOut with Perforated Tear Strip

4. Americhip
Studies prove that interacting with a brand on a sensory level increases brand recall and mindshare exponentially, so why risk the chance that your marketing package will be flat and forgettable? Video-In-Print from Americhip embeds a multisensory print and media experience directly into your print materials via video monitors that range from 1.8″ all the way up to 10″! Very, very cool. Americhip also has a large paper engineering staff who provide unique, high-end paper engineering across magazine inserts, print collateral, specialty packaging, and more.
Popular Products: Video-In-Print, Shadow Box, Luxe VIP Packaging

Click on the above image to see a larger version.
5. 3D Paper Graphics
As its name implies, 3D Paper Graphics is focused on unique dimensional products. One of its most popular offerings is the Show Stopper. Collapsed, the Show Stopper fits neatly into a custom mailable carrier. The recipient opens the piece, pulls out the Show Stopper, and reveals a self-standing keepsake. It can increase brand awareness, create a memorable event invitation, a collectible series, or simply surprise and entertain with a powerful message that pops.
Popular Products: Standouts, Show Stoppers, StageShow

6. B-Moss
Some creative folded marketing solutions focus on the reveal to create powerful marketing materials. And when you can get the recipient involved in that process, it’s much more effective. The Jaguar, one of many exciting products from B.Moss, has a sliding pull-out panel that reveals an image through a window. The magic, however, is in the slider panel. You might think that, when pulled to the right, the slider panel would have just the original image from the window on it, but the slider also reveals a surprise.
Popular Products: Jaguar, Twister, Triple Lamella, Spin Card
7. Uviaus
Uviaus, formerly Popfotocard, specializes in delivering dimensional, 3D, interactive, and sensory engaging print. Offering custom pop-ups, embedded 3D glasses in print promos, hidden messages, lenticular, and more, Uviaus’ products can enhance the direct-mail experience and increase response. The company also offers media tools and one-to-one marketing and communication services to help you manage and maximize your campaign’s potential.
Popular Products: via Burst, via Decoder, via Pop-up, via 3D

8. Colortree Marketing Resources
Colortree has a unique direct-mail format for letter correspondence. The Transformailer uses a unique single-sheet format to create both a full-color envelope and insert in one pass. One of the cooler things about this solution is the shape of the envelope—it’s folded on the diagonal, so the appearance catches your attention. Transformailers are economical to produce and can be personalized with variable text and images, sticky notes, PURLs, QR codes, and Microsoft Tag glyphs to connect the printed direct mail to smartphone, online, mobile, and social media marketing content.
Popular Products: Transformailer


9. Whitney Woods

Whitney Woods, headquartered in the United Kingdom, has a wide variety of dimensional direct-mail possibilities. They also produce custom print marketing products, including door hangers, face masks, pen holders, pocket guides, wheel charts, POS formats, and hangers, tags, creative collars for hanging marketing material on wine bottles.
Popular Products: Flicker Card, Dissolvers, Sideshooters, Pop-up Ball, Pocket Poppits
10. Tension Envelope
I’m often asked, “If the printed mailpiece is important, how important is the envelope?” The answer: The envelope is very important. Tension Envelope is one of the largest envelope manufacturers in the world, and in addition to their more standard envelopes, they also provide custom solutions. For example, Hot•Note features a self-stick note perforated into the face of the envelope for easy removal. The note can be personalized, and once removed it works just like a real sticky note! This is only one of the many interactive envelopes from Tension that will attract the recipients’ interest and engage them at the point of opening.
Popular Products: Hot•Note, Sim-Pull Envelope, EcoFirst 360

One Final Note
The companies in this article offer mostly patented or branded solutions; however, there’s a world of exotic specialty folds that are not patented, and I’ll bring those ideas to you in future articles. To determine if the folding style you’re considering is patented, look for a patent number on the folded piece or contact the companies listed in this article to learn more about their products and services. If you do choose a patented product, in most cases you must work with the patent holder to be able to use that fold for your project.
For more folding ideas and inspiration, visit foldfactory.com. Create a free foldfactory account to receive my “60-Second Super-cool Fold of the Week” e-video.
 

Trish Witkowski is Chief Folding Fanatic at foldfactory.com; a world-renowned educator, author, and speaker; and an award-winning designer.
  • Anonymous says:

    The Correct web address for Structural Graphics is https://www.structuralgraphics.com/

  • Anonymous says:

    thanks for sharing Trish!

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