BestLife magazine, published by Rodale, asked BG&A to beat its control direct mail package, a very successful and longstanding mailer. The actual nature of the control package is a client secret. However the package is both eye-catching and effective in conveying the many attributes of the magazine within an easy-to-read format.

BestLife has been conceived as a magazine targeting middle-aged men who once were either Men's Health subscribers or might have been. BestLife is a brand extension of Men's Health designed to take advantage of a continuing, life-long relationship between the publisher/magazine and its male subscribers. Of course, the magazine also aims to bring in new Boomer subscribers at newsstands or via direct marketing who don't see themselves in men's magazines dedicated to beer and babes.

Some of the creative strategy we cannot share because it falls into the proprietary arena. What we can share is obvious: posters were designed to appeal to men on multiple levels, with an intention that some of the inspirational posters could be keepers. For example, one man might keep the inspirational poster about "Engagement" because he is moved by the photograph and quotation. Each poster continues to explore the subject area in greater depth on the reverse side and includes useful "free" information, a subscription incentive, and all order options; thus, each poster has a standalone capability. Of course, we also intended that the composite of all posters would genuinely and perceptively reflect the soul and spirit of the magazine. That, in a nutshell, is the essential creative challenge.

We spent many hours researching each photograph to find exactly the right nuance. Not showing any faces was a very deliberate decision. The anonymity of the men in the photos makes it easier for each reader to project himself into one, a few, or maybe all of the keystone motivations and challenges confronting middle-aged / Boomer men. Not revealing faces makes the posters more likely to be kept and displayed by their recipients. 

Further, we sought to tap into what Boomer men are thinking about at this stage in their lives. What do they want? Where is their pain? What is churning inside men that makes them want to make changes, discover new insights, develop new paradigms, acquire more experiences/products, and live larger?

The mailing program successfully challenged the control package  Further, the strategic and creative process of developing this program also helped Rodale and its marketing / editorial team gain greater insights into the heart and soul of their prospective readers. In other words, the direct marketing program provided value-added insights and possibilities about how to continue evolving the magazine.