History is the greatest teacher

Branded direct mail has a tendency to get tossed in the trash. But not when you pique their interest first with something seemingly out of left field.

This was a classic tease and reveal. Hook em with a weird historical factoid and some unexpected imagery that was generally related to the disease state (in this case, cachexia, aka lost appetite). The inside of the brochures was about Megace an appetite stimulant, but the covers is what made this award worthy.

Quirky is good.

Who gets to write the words "Blessed Thistle" in an ad? I did. And that's the sort of small win that makes my day.

Oh and the best thing about using long-dead historical figures is that you don't have to pay any usage rights. Better go back pretty far though. Elvis' estate will still sink their teeth into you. But Chopin? Napoleon? Who knows were those royalties would go now.

This campaign was the intellectual property of Vox Medica licensed to Par Pharmaceuticals.