Nobody likes to fail. But when it comes to direct-mail efforts, lessons that arise from stunning failures often can lead to stunning success

By Margaret Battistelli Gardner

The client loved it. Agency staff loved it. I loved it. Maybe a bit too much.

The Results: We were so sure this idea was a winner, I’m not even certain if we mailed it against an established control to mitigate our risk. How could people not respond to it? Could there be a more dramatic, visceral way to simulate an asthma attack?