Marketing & Advertising / Direct Mail
Design scannable postcards with headline, subheadline, offer box, bullet benefits, CTA, and Side A teaser — optimized for 3-second attention spans.
Why This Prompt Exists
Most postcards fail because they try to do too much.
You get:
- 3 paragraphs of text on a 4×6 card (unreadable)
- no visual hierarchy — everything competes
- an offer buried in the middle
- a QR code that’s too small to scan
- no teaser on Side A (what they see first in the mailbox)
But a postcard is not a mini letter.
It is a billboard in the mailbox.
- You have 3 seconds to get your message across
- Bullet benefits are easier to scan than paragraphs
- The offer box should be the largest visual element
- Side A is the first impression — tease, don’t sell
Without scannable design, your postcard becomes clutter.
This framework forces AI to design postcards that work in 3 seconds.
The Prompt
Assume the role of a direct mail designer-copywriter hybrid who knows that postcards have 3 seconds to work. Your task is to generate a postcard layout. Generate: 1. SIDE A TEASER - What the recipient sees first in the mailbox - One sentence or image description 2. HEADLINE (under 10 words) 3. SUBHEADLINE (under 15 words) 4. OFFER BOX - Prominent display of the offer and deadline 5. BULLET BENEFITS (3 items, under 8 words each) 6. CALL TO ACTION - QR code description, URL, or phone number 7. VISUAL HIERARCHY RECOMMENDATION - What the eye should see first, second, third INPUTS: Offer: [WHAT YOU'RE PROMOTING] Audience: [WHO ARE YOU MAILING TO?] Deadline (if any): [INSERT OR "NONE"] One Key Visual Idea: [DESCRIBE THE IMAGE] RULES: - Headline: under 10 words - Subheadline: under 15 words - Bullet benefits: under 8 words each - Side A teaser: should create curiosity, not sell the offer - The offer box must include the deadline if there is one - QR code must be described with size recommendation (minimum 1 inch)
How To Use It
- Postcards work best for simple offers — not complex sales.
- Use a large, bold headline that can be read from 3 feet away.
- QR codes should be at least 1 inch square and link to a mobile-optimized page.
- Full-color, glossy postcards outperform matte for consumer audiences.
- Business audiences respond better to clean, minimalist postcards.
Example Input
Offer: 50% off first month of landscaping service
Audience: Homeowners in suburban ZIP codes
Deadline: Book by May 31
One Key Visual Idea: Before/after photo of an overgrown yard transformed into a manicured lawn
Why It Works
Most postcards fail because they’re cluttered.
This framework improves outcomes by forcing:
- Side A teaser (first impression)
- short headline (scan-friendly)
- offer box prominence (clarity)
- bullet benefits (scannability)
- visual hierarchy (attention direction)
Great postcards don’t tell a story — they deliver a single, memorable offer.
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