the toughest creative challenge there is

I know what you're going to say when I tell you what I think the hardest job in this business is. (And what you say *is* going to be bad.) But I've thought a lot about this over the years and time and again the truth of this seems to bear out.

I think the toughest thing to do well in this business is the outer envelope (OE) of a direct mail (DM) piece.

I know, I hear you.

"Scott, you're fucking crazy. An OE is the hardest thing a creative can do?!?"

But wait a sec – think about it.

With TV spots and banner ads, you're likely seeing them in the middle of a show or a site who's content you're actually interested in. More than merely knowing something about the person's vague prediliction for the content environment, you know that they're probably more or less enjoying it. There's an expectation of entertainment or engagement both from the content the audience is there to get, and from the ads (TV or banner) that you're serving up.

And you're probably sitting down as you experience each one, on either a couch or an office chair; you're physically comfortable.

On radio, whether you're in the car or at home, it's a similar experience. You're listening to a station whose music or talk you probably already like, and the audience is predisposed to liking you, or at least not immediately punching one of the other station presets.

Billboards don't get the same help from their environment, and they have to work in no more than 3 seconds, but again at least you're relatively comfortable while looking at one.

With a DM package, you don't get any of that help.

When your target audience member is grabbing their mail, they've just got home from work. Maybe they're  a little pissed off, or just exhausted, either from their day or from the commute. (Hey, I'm just trying to paint a typical picture of what happens when people first get in the door.) They may still have a computer bag or purse in their hands, and they're juggling keys and maybe a shopping bag too. They're desperate to get their coat and shoes off, and as they approach the kitchen counter with a fistful of other mail like credit card applications and bills (which really get them in a positive mood)... that's the moment when they may first see the OE of your package.

It better be damn strong.

Your OE has to reach through all that psychic crap and say something to the person holding it, in less than 3 seconds, because the person holding it is likely standing very near something called a garbage can or recycling bin. Months of work can disappear in the blink of an eye.

The creative, the offer, the spelling of the person's name... and the recipient's experience of the brand... they all have to work magic together for that second or two, just to have a hope of being opened, and engaged with, and just maybe responded to.

That, my friends, is a hell of a challenge.