By Craig Morris, ParcelPush. Last updated 11 November 2026.
The simplest way to put a physical offer in front of Australian school parents this summer is inside the parcel that brings their kids' books for next year. Through our exclusive partnership with Campion.com, ParcelAds go into e-commerce parcels of school books and stationery, reaching up to 0.5 million households between November and January, mostly mums. There are only 2 to 3 ParcelAd slots per box, the minimum is 10,000 inserts, and slots go to the advertisers who book early.
I'm Craig Morris, co-founder of ParcelPush. Around now I often hear from planners who have locked in a summer TV burst and want something that reaches families directly. Agencies usually ask me two things: the lead time, which is about four weeks, and the recommended quantity, which for a national brand we believe is around 50,000 inserts. This is how I'd plan it if I were sitting on the agency side.
Why the school book parcel is a different kind of moment
Most family advertising has to fight for attention in a busy feed or a crowded letterbox. A school book parcel is something a parent has been waiting for. It's the list from school, already paid for, turning up at the door. Somebody opens it at the kitchen bench and checks every item against the list, often with the kids hanging around.
That's why we talk about a near 100% open rate for ParcelAds in general: the box always gets opened. With school books it's also opened carefully, because nobody wants to find out on day one that the maths workbook is missing. Your flyer or voucher gets handled, not skimmed past.
The timing works in your favour too. Parents are planning the year ahead while that box is on the bench. In my experience that's a good time to put an offer in front of them for anything the family signs up to and keeps, like a phone plan, insurance, a streaming service, a meal kit or a family holiday.
Who back-to-school ParcelAds suit
The brands that get the most out of this are the ones where a new family customer is worth a lot over time. If a household stays with you for years, you can afford a strong first offer, and a printed voucher with a unique code lets you count exactly who took it up.
- Subscriptions and streaming. A free month or a family plan offer, timed for the long summer holidays.
- Telcos. Family bundles, or plans for a child getting a first phone before the school year.
- Insurance. Health, home and car cover, where one new policy can run for many years.
- Food and meal kits. Food and subscription businesses already use $50 to $100 vouchers with unique codes in our network, and school-term dinners are a real problem in most houses.
- Travel and family brands. Holidays, activities and anything else parents plan as a household.
One thing to know before you brief us: your brand has to sit comfortably next to Campion's. These are parcels going to families with school-age kids, so the offer and creative need to suit that box. We'll talk it through at the start.
How it fits next to your summer TV and BVOD
I don't see this as a replacement for a summer TV burst. TV and BVOD do the reach. The parcel insert is the tracked response layer underneath, landing in the home while your ad is still on air.
For a national plan, I'd line the insert flight up with the TV weeks in December and January and judge it on cost per acquisition, the same way you'd judge search or affiliate. If you're running a family offer on TV, use the same offer on the flyer, with its own code, so you can see what the parcel adds. Our page for media agencies covers the general briefing side.
The timeline from now
School book deliveries run from November to January, so the planning window is right now. This is roughly how it goes:
- Brief and offer. We talk through the audience, the offer, the volume and how you'll track it. The video call is free and takes 30 minutes.
- Brand check and booking. We confirm the brand fit and lock in your slot. With 2 to 3 slots per box, this is the step you don't want to leave late.
- Design and print. Consulting, design and printing normally take 3 to 7 working days, depending on how quickly creative gets signed off. We can design and print it for you.
- Distribution. The printed flyers ship straight to the warehouse, and the pick-and-pack team adds them to outgoing orders. Your campaign runs as a flight across the weeks the parcels go out, not a single drop date.
If you only make one decision this week, make it the booking. Creative can follow.
Getting the offer and format right
A6 is the most common flyer size in our network and works well here. DL is the other format we recommend. We print on 150gsm FSC-certified paper, full colour and double sided. Vouchers with a unique code, or a thin plastic card attached to a cardboard flyer, suit subscription and food brands.
Write it for a parent with a box of books in front of them and a kid asking questions. One offer, one clear action, and a dollar value rather than a percentage off. Our older post on designing a flyer with a voucher offer goes into the detail, and 5 lessons learned in Australian insert marketing covers testing.
Tracking a back-to-school campaign
Every insert should be tracked, and with a hybrid deal it has to be. The back-to-school program runs on a hybrid CPM plus cost-per-order model, so the order needs to be counted cleanly. Use one or more of these:
- A unique promo code just for the school book parcels.
- A short landing page that's easy to type on a phone.
- A QR code with UTM tags, so the visits show up in your analytics.
- A tracked phone number if your sales close on the phone.
- Your affiliate platform. We work with Impact.com, Commission Factory and AWIN, so every conversion from a printed flyer can be tracked through your own program.
Each week we send the number of inserts delivered, so you can set it against redemptions, and you get a final report at the end. The ParcelAd tracking post has the setup tips. When television is on air at the same time, codes undercount, which is covered in how to measure parcel insert advertising when TV is running too. If your brand runs one of those affiliate programs and you haven't tried ParcelAds before, ask us about the discounted trial of 10,000 to 20,000 inserts.
Questions planners ask about back-to-school advertising
How can I advertise to Australian parents before the school year starts?
One option is a ParcelAd inside school book and stationery deliveries. Through its exclusive partnership with Campion.com, ParcelPush places flyers, vouchers or samples in parcels going to up to 0.5 million households between November and January, mostly reaching mums.
When should I book back-to-school parcel inserts?
As early as you can, ideally when you book the summer TV. There are only 2 to 3 ParcelAd slots per box and they go to the advertisers who book early. Design and print usually take 3 to 7 working days once the brief is agreed.
What is the minimum order for back-to-school ParcelAds?
The minimum is 10,000 inserts, on a hybrid model of a CPM plus a cost per order. ParcelPush recommends at least 10,000 inserts for any first test so the results are meaningful.
Which brands suit advertising in school book parcels?
Brands where a new family customer is worth a lot over time, such as subscriptions and streaming, telcos, insurance, meal kits and family travel. The brand and offer must align with Campion and suit a parcel going to families with school-age children.
How do you track a parcel insert campaign aimed at parents?
With a unique promo code, a short landing page, a QR code with UTM tags, a tracked phone number, or an affiliate platform such as Impact.com, Commission Factory or AWIN. ParcelPush sends weekly delivery figures and a final report.
Can I target other family audiences outside back-to-school?
Yes. ParcelPush's network covers 18 retailer categories across Australia and New Zealand, including baby products, children, games and toys, and school books and stationery, so family campaigns can run year round.
Book a slot or ask me a question
If you're planning a family offer for this summer, call me on 0418 812 565 (office 1300 436 806) or email craig@parcelpush.com.au. You can read more on our page for reaching Australian parents and our page for advertisers, or book a free 30-minute video call with us.