Who says direct marketing is boring? Perhaps one of the most innovative and unusual campaigns in recent history started as a direct marketing campaign. I'm referring to the "Best Job in the World" campaign by CumminsNitro Brisbane for Queensland Tourism. With a limited budget of only $1.7 million, the agency was tasked with promoting Queensland's Hamilton Island as a desirable tourist destination.

Whenever you make an offer, potential buyers always wonder why. This is part of what makes the "reason why" offer so popular. The problem is that many of this kind of offer makes no sense. Labor Day sales, Christmas savings and Washington's birthday deals certainly work, and consumers look forward to them. But since they're so routine, they lack power. Miss one sale, and you know another will roll along soon enough.

Because I travel on a regular basis for my job, membership to the airlines and hotel loyalty clubs are a necessity. When not on the road, I belong to the grocery and warehouse clubs. I am always surprised that with all the information they seem to gather on my travel to food choices — why almost none can predict with accuracy my next purchase.

My No. 1 stop for online shopping is, hands down, Amazon.com. It is the gold standard when it comes to online retail. What attracts me to the site is not the usual set of tools that most people in the industry might highlight as impactful. For example, although I'm aware of the recommendation box, I rarely buy things that "other people who purchased 'X' purchased" — I'm more interested in searching for my own interests.

Kodak has been breaking new ground in its use of multiple channels to promote their cost-saving printer line. Most notable is its use of short- and long-form infomercial segments touting the benefits and savings of the products in a way that pays homage to the late Billy Mays.

Bing, the new search engine — sorry, decision engine — from Microsoft, launched in June with a slate of TV spots, print and online ads. Consider for a moment the challenge the creative team faced. Google has become literally synonymous with search, having beat out the other contenders, including Microsoft's own Live Search, simply by being better. So it was far from obvious that the world was looking for a new search engine.

Innovation is the crux of a successful direct marketing campaign. With hordes of marketers trying to reach the same consumers, it takes something special to get noticed. Apple is used to getting noticed. With their clever Mac vs. PC ads, Apple is able to steal users' attention from the New York Times' homepage and prove that it still has a few tricks up its sleeve.

Most people love birthdays — the anticipation, the excitement, the gifts. But me? I've never really been into them, even as a child. However, after two of my creative directors received this birthday mailing from Anthropologie recently, I suddenly wished it were my birthday so that I could receive such a fantastic and memorable gift. So ... what's the big deal about this piece?

Sometimes, snobbery sells. People don't buy a BMW 700 series automobile because they think it's a superior car. They buy it because it appeals to their inner snob. But, when BMW creates promotional materials, it makes sure to differentiate between the product and the promotion.

My husband and I collect beautiful rugs, including our prized "Kerman," purchased from Area Rugs by Rugman. Imagine my shock back in 2006 to see our very own luscious Kerman rug featured on the cover of a tabbed self-mailer.