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Broken: promotional mailing
Image is everything: so says the slogan printed on ripped card stock, with scotch tape holding everything together.
The brochure inside was nice enough... so maybe this was just an eye-catching ploy. I certainly paid this more attention than most spam mailings I get.
This is a common problem in business - not thinking through the entire experience - which is why so often you don't get the same service on the phone as you would in store!
Consistency is key!
I agree with your second thought - eye-catching ploy. They're using irony to drive the message home. It's too horrifically awful to be accidental.
Yes, it appears that the packaging and the message "Image Is Everything" is trying to make a specific eye-catching point to illustrate what NOT to do.
I could see this on a billboard or television commercial as an extreme example of what people, followed by how the advertiser is the obvious choice to prevent this horror story from happening to you.
Had I received it in unsolicited the mail, it would have definitely compelled me to open the package to see what was inside.
Sounds like it compelled you to do the same!