The Football Pools Direct Mail

Direct mail was one of the most effective acquisition and reactivation channels for The Football Pools, particularly among an older audience with long-standing emotional ties to the brand. Rather than treating DM as a static, functional medium, the challenge was to make each monthly pack feel current, relevant and genuinely engaging.

The solution was to build a rolling programme of direct mail packs that followed the rhythm of the football season itself. Each pack combined best-practice direct response techniques — inspired by the principles of classic DM thinkers such as Drayton Bird — with timely, story-led creative ideas rooted in real football narratives.

These included:

• Newsjacking moments from the season
• Playful references to players, teams and fixtures
• Story arcs that evolved month-by-month, encouraging continued engagement

The result was a series of packs that felt less like traditional direct mail and more like a conversation with the game, while still clearly communicating the benefits, mechanics and rewards of playing The Football Pools.

I was responsible for the creative concepting and copywriting across the programme, ensuring each pack struck the right balance between disruption and clarity — entertaining enough to stand out on the doormat, disciplined enough to drive response.

This work demonstrates how traditional direct mail, when treated creatively and strategically, can remain a powerful driver of engagement and revenue — especially when it respects both the audience and the cultural context they care about.