DO NOT BEND?

I think I fell for a marketing ploy.

I received a piece of mail from Sports Illustrated today. It was a standard business sized envelope, clearly marked with the Sports Illustrated logo and all. I already knew it was going to be some sort of pitch offering me a professional discounted rate to subscribe to SI. (I get 'em all the time).

The envelope was marked DO NOT BEND.

“Hmmm,” I wondered, “Do not bend? Interesting.” This instruction to the US Postal Service alerts the carrier to handle this envelope gingerly because it has something sensitive inside.

The contents?

a) standard form letter with my discounted offer
b) a return envelope

Nothing else.

No photos or other materials that would require an envelope to stay not bent.

I wasn't interested in the offer in the first place, but the DO NOT BEND did cause me to OPEN the envelope.

I think that they thought I'd think there were pictures of swimsuit models in my envelope.

Maybe there should have been?