Package of the Year [and Gold winner, Direct Mail]: World Vision U.S.

Not so with our 2011 Package of the Year. This sustainer/upgrade effort from Russ Reid on behalf of World Vision U.S. is engaging, colorful and just plain fun. Plus, it looks deceptively simple: Birds, planes, kites and other flying things float across the colorful outer envelope, practically begging the recipient to open it. The banner at the bottom that says, "Inside: A cool paper airplane for sponsored children," doesn't hurt either. Inside, the letter and reply device are moving and concise … and then you see it — a thick trifold on glossy, heavy stock with fun facts about birds, butterflies and flying machines on back of a happy-looking paper airplane cutout that is meant to be signed and sent to the recipient's sponsored child along with a handwritten note from the donor. In an amazing display of personalization, assembly and other instructions appear in both the donor's and child's native languages.