Patent ID: 8087214

Claim:
A method for disseminating product advertising messages to a target consumer group, which method comprises: (a) packaging matches in a matchbook having a branding advertising message from a sponsor and a separable manufacturer coupon from a client; said matchbooks comprising: i) a comb of matches having a plurality of matches; ii) a cover attached to and folded over said comb, said cover substantially enclosing said comb when said cover is in a first closed position and permitting access to said comb when said cover is in a second open position, said cover providing a first substrate on which said branding message is imprinted; iii) igniting material on said cover; and iv) a message sheet providing a second substrate on which said manufacturer coupon is imprinted, v) wherein said manufacturer coupon is redeemable by a consumer of said matchbook and includes machine readable code associated therewith to facilitate automated processing of said coupon; and vi) wherein said message sheet is separably connected to said cover such that said manufacturer coupon may be separated from said cover and removed from said matchbook by a consumer without impairing the ability of said cover to substantially enclose said comb when said cover is in said first closed position or compromising the integrity of said first substrate on which said sponsor branding message is imprinted; (b) packaging said packaged matches in a shipping carton having a machine readable indicator assigned to said client manufacturer coupon; and (c) reading said indicator and in response thereto shipping said carton to a consumer outlet associated with said target consumer group so that said matchbooks with said manufacturer coupon may be distributed to consumers associated with said consumer outlet and thereby disseminate said manufacturer coupon to said target consumer group.