blank
blank
blank
A PRIMEDIA Publication


Multichannel Management
Campaigns
Opinions/Columns

B-to-B News/Stories
Catalog/Retail
Financial Services
Publishing
Travel/Entertainment

Legal/Regulatory
Postal

Direct Mail
E-mail
Web Marketing
Telemarketing
CRM/DB
DR Media
Data/List Business

Catalog Age
Ops & Fulfillment
Promo
American Demographics
Circulation Management
Folio
Media Central
SEM

DMA
USPS

Classifieds/
Job Openings

Archives
About DIRECT
Contact the Staff
blank

Funny Business

 Beth Negus Viveiros

Direct, Jun 1, 2008

Print-friendly format E-mail this information

cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>
cellpadding=>

Let's face it: Most premiums are boring. Pens? Nah. T-shirts? Eh. Mugs? Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

For the recent “Night of Too Many Stars” benefit for autism education, Comedy Central went a different route with its gewgaws to entice contributors.

Give $50 or more, get an oven mitt with the event's logo. Why an oven mitt? Why not? Give $100 or more, get a black ski mask with the logo and the words “Anonymous Donor” printed on the front. It's the perfect way to show you care during a liquor-store holdup.

Those willing to cough up $200 or more during the Jon Stewart-hosted show got their name sung during a performance of “They Didn't Start Autism” (to the tune of Billy Joel's “We Didn't Start the Fire”) by Ben Stiller and “Saturday Night Live” cast members Fred Armisen and Will Forte.

The premiums were funny, skewed on target for the network's audience. I'm betting they got more than a few viewers to give to the benefit organized by Robert Smigel (better known as Triumph the Insult Comic Dog).

Next time you're looking for donations, consider that sometimes funny = money.



© 2008, Primedia Business Magazines and Media, a PRIMEDIA company. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of PRIMEDIA Business Corp.

Get Copyright Clearance Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2008, PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media Inc.

Print-friendly format E-mail this information
Search
blank
blank
blank

 
Mail Stream: A Report on Incoming Direct Mail

Contemporary home design hit a new low, so to speak, in the Summer Catalog 2004 from modular floor covering product Flor from Interface. Retired U.S. Army General Tommy Franks, who commanded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years, has accepted a new mission -- to help raise the capital needed to build The National Museum of the U.S. Army.
More  
blank

blank