According to this story by the AP, two NFL teams (Redskins and Patriots) have partnered with their local lotteries to serve up branded scratch-off tix.

This blog post by Zac Bissonnette claims that using childhood heroes to peddle the lotto is similar to using Joe Camel to sell cigarettes.

I’m not the logic follows for that example. I guess, if we’re going to go after the NFL and the lottery, then we should probably go after the NFL and alcohol, too. Beer logos and team logos have long appeared together, and we don’t seem to have a problem with that.

I used to be part of a local marketing group, and so I volunteered my email address, happily. Now I’m rethinking my decision.

It’s not that I don’t believe in the work their doing. It’s that they’ve done some things lately that really annoy me.

First, they gave my email address to another organization that I have no interest in.

Second, to promote an event they send out way more reminders than is warranted. Lately it’s been four emails in a little over a week.

I recently talked with some of my fellow graduates of the last decade (aka GOLD alumni), and we decided that the traditional way our respective alma maters appeal to us is sometimes…well, annoying.

It’s not the solicitation that bothers us. It’s the overly emotional copy, the over-use of bold text for emphasis, and the hackneyed pea of economic hardship.

But most of all, we get annoyed because the appeal letters don’t address our relationship with the colleges and universities we love so much.

So colleges and universities, here are four things not to do: