When you’re a global risk management company like Applied Underwriters, how do you reward your key partners and decision makers after a stellar year that included regaining your independence from Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway? With a trip to attend the world famous AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Golf Tournament in California, of course. And if you’re aiming to attract such busy people, you better make sure your “Save the Date” card and invitation are simply too eye-catching to miss.
No problem, said the in-house designers at Applied Underwriters who, working with freelancer Alex Egner, began where the company has so often in the past – with the company’s St. Bernard mascot, “Goldie.” (A few years back, the dog became the subject of what became the world’s largest bobblehead doll: 15’, 4.75”!)
For their 2020 Applied Underwriters Rendezvous event, which took place in February (before COVID took hold in the U.S.), they included Goldie’s iconic look in just about everything, but tastefully so.
Let’s start with the “Save the Date” card, which arrived in this smart and sumptuous looking carrier. Wrapped in 92 lb. Arjowiggins Curious Metallics Cover Ink, the outer sleeve features a nice, deep Light Blue metallic foil stamping with the St. Bernard mascot at its center, metallic rays shooting out in all directions. A slight tug at a ribbon pull slides out a drawer to unveil the Save the Date card neatly tucked inside the tray.
Letterpress printed on 300 gsm Gmund Cotton [Get Swatchbook!] Gentlemen Blue by Andresen, the front and back of the card echo the general look of the carrier cover. The 2 sheets were then duplex laminated for that extra thick and chunky feel.
Lifting out the card reveals a few goodies for the recipient’s Pebble Beach excursion: a pair of luggage tags, along with leather and metal bands; either could be used to attach the tags to one’s bags.
Not to be outdone, the invitation itself arrived in a medium Navy Blue luxury gift box from Foldabox. This packaging was made to match the Save the Date carrier in appearance by printing the logo and ray pattern in Light Blue metallic ink on the lid.
Inside, the invitation is enticingly framed by golf balls and tees, the former featuring the now-familiar St. Bernard branding. It consists of a multi-page itinerary printed on 80 lb. Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Text [Get Swatchbook!] and held together with a Chicago screw [PRO Guide to Screw Binding] in one corner. The itinerary was then wrapped in a bellyband with the recipient’s name digitally printed beneath the words “A Champions Welcome.”
Guests were also provided with a handy, perfect-bound “Applied Underwriters Guide to Pebble Beach” that featured a number of witty insights into the history of the fabled golf resort, while the inside allowed room to make personal notes. The star here is the soft touch, 111 lb. Neenah Touché Lapis paper [Get Swatchbook!] with its Light Blue metallic foil stamping.
With its strong, consistent use of branding and just the right amount of foil, when it came to making its guests feel welcome, this risk management company left nothing to chance 🙂
Hot foil stamping brought a distinctive touch of elegance to this piece, but there are so many other ways to get the shimmer and shine of foil. Discover them, as well as the pros and cons of each, in our free Foil Cheat Sheet. Download yours now!
