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.

In critiquing this mailer piece from Redplum, we also can examine the direct mail practices we see every day that crush any chance of significant redemption and contribute to the definition of "junk mail."

Every once in a while, my neighbors will stop me during my dog walk to show me some interesting piece of mail they've received. This is, to my way of thinking, a bonus for living in an old, Leave it to Beaver-style neighborhood. And a piece that my neighbor Jerry showed me recently really got my attention. As in, "Tennnn — HUT!" That's right, it's for the US Army.

Our agency is full of sports fanatics. Every year, we draft our March Madness brackets, post them on a communal wall and try to practice sportsmanship.

Snap packs have been around for a while, and they all pretty much look alike. They're basically envelopes that you open with one or more perforated strips.