DIRECT CHOICE: Toyota

At first glance, this looks like an estate agent's mailing. It leads the reader into the piece, only to find out this mailing is for a new 'good looking' little car.

If the targeting is primarily female, living in suburbia, married with kids, then it's spot on - because, as we know, keeping up with the Joneses is very important.

Also, the execution fits well with the current TV campaign, as it builds on the theme 'The new Corolla - a car to be proud of' by suggesting that the ideal house has a view of the new Corolla.

Differentiation, or stand-out in a highly competitive market sector is crucial, because consumers are bombarded by a multitude of different messages through a plethora of channels.

The simplicity of the art direction is a refreshing change. Too many mailings are cluttered with images that do not work and confuse the message that they intend to communicate.

As a prospect mailing I think it certainly does its job - even responding has been made easy, with a simple self-seal questionnaire. So for me this is a well thought-out mailing . And as we work on a competitive brand, it would certainly be interesting to know the results!

This article was first published on Marketing