Less is generally más.

I recently received an interesting mailer for a restaurant close to my home. Measuring 6" x 11" there didn't appear anything too out of the ordinary with this printed piece, but opening it revealed that there was more to it than meets the eye.

After removing the 3 circular stickers that kept it shut (as if 4 would've been overkill), you're invited to open a gatefold held shut with the same rubbery adhesive used to adhere credit cards to paper.

Once opened, you are greeted by two pup-up images — one a Margarita, and the other an appetizer platter. Flanking these gems are a couple card stock gift cards for free food, and also a QR code that needs to be scanned in order to activate the gift cards before coming in.

But wait — there's more! What was covering the pop-up graphics once opened? That's right, a GIANT 11" x 14" letter with lengthy explanation about the restaurant and why after 2 years of business they decided to extend an invitation to the restaurant in this special way.

It's obvious that this was a pretty expensive piece. From the folds, to the adhesives and stickers, the pop-ups with special plastic mechanisms to ensure they work, and the multiple gift cards with giant letter, this was designed to grab your attention. By the size of things it seems they didn't want you to lose anything and miss out on their offer. It definitely did it's job in that aspect and hopefully for them their big gamble paid off. From a design standpoint they could have simplified their messaging much more to make their bells and whistles stand out. The pop-ups were a bust since they were covered by the big letter upon opening. Perhaps simplifying the folds or offering only one gift card and saving the other for a similar mailer to be mailed out later might be a better strategy. When you're trying to woo your audience, it's one thing to "wow" them, but to also bombard them with information is a bit much. It's like getting pecked to death by a duck.

-Joel Penos

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