3D Custom Mailer Steals the Show!
Challenge
vAuto is an established leader in providing technology solutions to auto dealers to manage their vehicle inventories. Access: Velocity is a conference the company holds every two years for their top customers. The event allows these dealers to gather industry insight, discuss best practices and meet with some of the most powerful executives in the industry. The event solidifies relationships with these customers and further establishes vAuto as an industry leader.
The invitation for the event, which was held in Chicago, needed to evoke the exclusivity of Access: Velocity and push dealers to take action. The event registration fee is $1,500. (Registration fees are donated to the Foundation Fighting Blindness.)
Strategy
We created a high-end dimensional mailer that embodied the unique character of the event and presented the dense content agenda in a highly engaging manner.
The invitation was contained in a sturdy, customized black metal box with an embossed “V” as an imprint for the conference. The solidity of the piece created a strong sense of exclusivity in a manner consistent with the hard-edged character of the auto industry. Inside the metal box, a wooden tray held a 46-page booklet containing event details along with a free-standing invitation card.
We created a signature design style as an anchor for the piece. The core of this design was a set of original illustrations that melded with executive headshots and photographs of Chicago landmarks to create a sophisticated feel.
Our strategy was to highlight the important executives involved in the event, as well as key Chicago landmarks. This approach ensured that the core value of attending the conference was front and center in the invitation.
By combining photography with energetic illustrations, we were able to put an original edge onto imagery – executive headshots and well-known landmarks – that normally does not engage readers. The loose-line work contrasted with the photographs of the speakers’ faces to frame them in a way that suggested their significance along with accessibility and warmth. The illustrations embodied the personal nature of the event as well as the opportunity it presented for vAuto’s customers to spend time with important industry figures.
The smoky black and white shading added an additional degree of sophistication and visual engagement, while creating a unifying element.
Impact
The invitation won a BMA B2 Award for best original illustration. More importantly, the results of the mailing were outstanding, with more than 80% of the recipients registering for the conference. The illustrations made a big impact on the speakers and attendees. As one of the executives said, “This has got to be the classiest, coolest, most differentiated invitation to a professional conference ever.”
To find out more about this custom invitation, get in touch with an Mx expert. If you want to stay up to date with industry insights, subscribe to our blog.
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