How The French Live 42 Percent Longer Than Everyone Else… even though they eat like kings and smoke like chimneys!
(Renaissance Health 2007-2011, 20-page magalog for revatrol (red wine extract) also marketed by the name resveratrol and resvatrol by other manufacturers. 9-megabyte PDF)
This promotion is one of the true Energizer Bunnies of direct mail over the last five years. Actually, I’m fairly certain it’s been mailing since 2005, but it’s definitely been mailing since 2007. And when you’ve got a winner like this, not only do you continuously test mailing frequency and new mailing universes but you also try out different forms of direct mail, like this windowed envelope that’s been mailing since late 2010.
Interestingly, in every version I’ve ever seen of this package, there has been only one design change and one copy change. The design change is an updated photo of the (now older) medical expert, Dr. William S. Gruss. And the copy change on this control was the headline.
From:
How The French Live 42 Percent Longer Than Everyone Else
To:
How The French Live Longer Than Everyone Else
Why does this package keep going…and going?
Ever since Professor Serge Renaud coined the term “French Paradox” and the perennial American investigative TV show, 60 Minutes, did a story on it in 1991, the concept has become rooted in the collective mind of the American public that moderate drinking of red wine is good for you.
It’s makes sense.
How else could the French gobble down brie and baguettes, smoke like chimneys and imbibe bottles of wine each week? Besides the fact that a large segment of baby boomers are predisposed to the idea that drinking red wine is healthful, the evidence of the French paradox has been upheld in film and popular culture for years.
Revatrol/resveratrol not only packs the powerful tacit endorsements of such authorities as Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins, The Salk Institute and others, but the processed red wine extract contains no alcohol. One pill packs the protective properties of 50 (fifty) bottles of wine!
So, just what is revatrol good for? Better heart and artery health, lowering cholesterol levels, building immunity, boosting brain power, youthful looking skin, increased energy, weight loss and the benefits just keep on going as you’ll see in the piece.
Study this piece because it defines direct mail winner to the T. There are other strong ads for resveratrol but none has had the staying power of this one. Layout is also done beautifully in this piece.
And if you are interested in hundreds of direct mail and space ad controls like this, you’ll find plenty in this copywriter’s playground.