Direct mail is still the bread and butter of many organisations. In the face of rocky waters, it’s often the force steadying the ship, continuing to provide a reliable and constant income stream for many wonderful organisations whose services are so desperately needed. Many continue to enjoy uplifts on their annual appeals, of which direct mail remains a sizeable component, and it’s got us thinking how important it is to nail the basics of these campaigns.
We know that lifts work best when they aren’t overly ‘design-y’ or produced. We’ve consistently seen illustration used to great effect, with it doing much of the heavy lifting.
The reason illustration works so beautifully is the same reason that you’d be more inclined to read a handwritten letter, than the same letter typed and printed. When everything we see is perfect, we crave raw and authentic communication.
If you haven’t yet considered the use of illustration in appeals, here are some reasons you should:
- It allows you tell the most powerful version of the story, you’re not limited by what images you have available. This lift example for Kids Under Cover depicts Andrew’s story, bringing it to life for the donor, without needing to share images of the beneficiary. Instead, the illustration allows us to tangibly imagine the situation, building on the emotion of the letter included in the pack.
- It can convey a concept simply – you don’t need overly produced graphic design to convey a powerful message. Illustration can allow you to cleverly explain an idea through visuals that add interest. This lift example for Lifeline allows us to compare the pressures felt by some people at Christmas time to the idea of an iceburg, emphasising just how much of what someone is going through can be hidden, going unseen and unnoticed.
- It can offer a mechanism to tell the story from a point of view you couldn’t otherwise, for example that of an animal or child. With this lift example for Australian Conservation Foundation, we wanted to tell the story for the donor through the animal’s eyes, for extra emotional connection. Illustration allowed us to adopt the ‘voice’ of Noah, the loveable sea turtle.
- It allows you to be flexible and nimble, yes it will take longer in the design studio (and you need a designer who is able to create illustration for you) but there is no waiting to hold a photo shoot, or collating images.
Above all else, using illustration in appeals allows your copy and design team the flexibility to get to the heart of the story; the chance to use their imagination, and it follows that the donor gets to enjoy this same level of surprise and delight.
If you weren’t already, now is the time to flex your creative muscles, and put that pencil to work in your appeals.
