Election 2010 Direct-Mail Analysis

On the Republican side, Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio reached out to conservative voters with an "AirWeb Express" that's designed to remind a prospect of a FedEx envelope. Yes, these type of packages have been around for years, even if their look has been changed enough to avoid lawsuits. But this mailing has a twist worth mentioning. The 6-inch-by-11.5-inch outer unfolds into an 11-inch-by-16.75-inch poster, suitable for display "to help increase my campaign's momentum and my name identification," as Rubio's note explains. This technique has been used by the Ocean Conservancy and a few other nonprofits recently. For those passionate about their political leanings, it's an effective way to demonstrate support, and it's much more visible than an old standby like a photo or bumper sticker (Who's Mailing What Archive code #608-718049-1009).