If you’ve ever found a 3-D promotion in your mailbox, you certainly remember it. They make a bold impression. It’s a topic I haven’t covered yet, so today’s post will take care of that oversight.

First, what is a 3-D promotion? 3-D stands for 3-Dimensional. In other words, it’s not a flat mailer or postcard. It can be a box, a mail tube, or another object that has shape and thickness. There’s something inside that gives you a reason to use the dimensional carrier.

The idea can be simple. I once received a box holding a full ear of popcorn with the husk still attached and a brief sales letter. That’s all. Or, they can have many components, like the example I’ll describe today. There’s a theme or central idea. It’s all part of the method for gaining attention and involving the recipient.

Your list is highly targeted because a 3-D package is pricier than a typical mail promotion. But don’t let that scare you. Because of its high profile, it can generate greater response from a “treasured” group.

A few years ago, ACTON Marketing sent a 3-D promotion to a select group of prospects. We built the promotion around the premise of the film, “National Treasure.” All the components were contained in a rectangular tin nestled inside the outer box.

The tin was just a teaser for what was inside. When opened, the prospect found a complimentary DVD of the movie. There was a small letter that introduced  ACTON Marketing. Instead of a brochure, there were six two-sided cardstock pages cut to the shape of the container.

The screenplay revolved around secret messages and codes on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Our 3-D package included a mini-reproduction of the famous document with a Declaration-keyed quiz on the back. By answering simple questions, the recipient discovered a password to use on a special Web page we set up. As an incentive to visit the website, the password triggered an entry into a prize drawing.

The tin’s contents also included a BRC, a testimonial sticker under the lid, and a teaser sticker on the lid. We mailed a follow-up postcard a couple of weeks after the tin’s drop date. The theme carried through every element.

This is a fairly complex 3-D promotion with many components. I chose it as an example for that reason. Others can be as simple as the popcorn and letter in a cardboard box.

Now that you know what it is, why use a 3-D package? Again, you’re going after a specific segment of an audience. In the case of our “National Treasure” campaign, we mailed it to marketing executives at a specific group of companies. I once worked on a 3-D package for a software client who wanted to reach CEOs of select major businesses. I wrote copy for a loyalty campaign that used a pizza box as the mail carrier and, among the promotional materials, included a gift certificate for a pizza restaurant chain as the attention-getting reward. I’ve seen a cable company use a pack of microwave “movie” popcorn inside a specially-made cardstock mail package. There are dozens of examples of 3-D mail that charities send to generate contributions. The reasons are limitless.

A 3-D promotion cuts through the clutter and is designed to get past the gatekeepers many executives use to screen their mail. A 3-D package certainly stands out in a home mailbox. On a small scale, for instance, you could send one to all your customers or members.

Now that you have examples to start you thinking, you can imagine your own uses for this type of promotion. At least put this description and your notes into your idea file for a time when you need them.

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If you don’t have one, start an idea file.