Does this really work on anyone?

Monday June 16, 2008 @ 10:31 AM (UTC)

Since I’ve been a member of the World Wildlife Fund since age 14, my name has gotten on the lists of many conservation organizations. So much so, in fact, that I no longer need to buy return address labels or jot pads. Ever.

Regardless of the superfluity of these items that I have accumulated, I save them and I am vaguely pleased by their appearance in my mailbox; it isn’t just another thing to recycle. I’m not sure the address labels will have any effect on which organization I add to my giving when my ship comes in, but I have a vague goodwill as a result of them. So they sort of work.

You know what doesn’t work? Putting a celebrity’s name on the return address label. This week I got yet another letter from Leonardo DiCaprio touting some conservation org. He’s the biggest offender, but I’m not excited by getting mail from Paul Newman, either (sorry, sister sledge). In fact, in all my years, I remember being excited by this tactic precisely once: when I was eleven. “Mommy, Mommy, Bill Clinton wrote to you!” She smiled indulgently and I learned about boring form letters with star-power return addresses.

Does this work on anyone? Is there some sliver of the population so DiCaprio-loving that they will do whatever he broadcasts? Because by sending them to me, they are only moving paper from ‘new’ to ‘postconsumer’. And there are never, ever, free address labels in a star-power begging letter.

Comments

I know you preemptively shouted me out, but I would be thrilled to get communication of any kind from Paul Newman. In fact, he did voiceover on a TV commercial for a children’s charity, and as I experienced, the commercial, I was so thrilled to hear his gravelly tones, and excited to comply with his urging, that I’ve completely forgotten the name of the group and its purpose! (So I guess for people like me, they overdid it by using Paul.) Also, he was diagnosed with cancer this week. So lay off.

Leo DiCaprio, on the other hand, does little for me as far as contributions to worthy causes, although I acknowledge his talent as an actor. I’m afraid this sort of thing does work for some people!

I almost did mention that the fact that I don’t remember which organizations the celebs are lending their support to indicates pretty soundly that it doesn’t work :p

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