Canada Post - Think Inside the Box Event Invite 2013

Canada Post hosts an annual direct marketing conference called: Think Inside the Box. It's a free event for Canadian marketers. We know this well informed segment receives a lot of event invites, so we needed to show them something new.

For 2013, the theme was Mad Marketing, or MaDMarketing. That brought my partner and I to a 'mad science' space. We came up with a number of science based concepts, but our favourite was the invite that transformed from a flat invite into a pop-up microscope.

From the outside, the invite looked like a section of whiteboard. As the recipient opens the piece, they see a page from notebook with information about the event, as well as other laboratory items, including a high-security access pass. The final reveal opens to the pop-up microscope, complete with a magnifying lens, highlighting the event details. The ocular of the microscope is a removable webkey that takes the user to the event's registration page.

The mailing was a complete success, with over a 1 in 4 response rate. We were contacted by Direct Mail magazine, who wanted to feature the invite in their publication -- expanding our invite base by over 17,000 impressions.

This piece won 2 silver 2014 Communicator awards.

Client: Canada Post Corporation
Objective: Create an invitation for a Canadian marketing conference
Target: Canadian marketers
Media: Direct mail

Canada Post – Holiday 2011 and Mobile App :15 TV Spots

Last year, the new president and CEO of Canada Post had seen the work we were developing for their upcoming holiday campaign. He loved the direction so much that asked us to work it into a television campaign as well.

It was late in the year to start a holiday TV campaign but we found a clever way to bring the print ads to life and still got the spots to air in record time.

We were only using two images for the print and direct mail campaign so we needed to shoot some more images to round out four :15 spots.

Each spot had a specific purpose. There were two holiday spots, one for letters and cards and another for parcels. Each spot was aired back-to-back with a partner ad showcasing feature of Canada Post's new mobile app. The cards and letters spot were paired up with a spot for custom picture postcards and the parcels spot aired with a parcel tracking spot.

The new photography was shot by Fuel and the animation was done by 4stroke in Toronto.

Client: Canada Post Corporation

Objective: Encourage Canadians to send holiday greetings and gifts with Canada Post and to download their new mobile app

Target: All Canadians

Media: :15 television spots

City of Toronto – Creative Pitch Work

A few years ago, the agency I was working at was invited to a creative pitch for the City of Toronto. The ask was to come up with a campaign to inform the citizens of Toronto about the upcoming pesticide ban.

We decided it wasn't enough to inform the public of the ban, we had to provide some 'green' alternatives as well.

Since we were proposing a grassroots approach, I came up with a traditional look and feel for the campaign to go along with copy designed to inform and entertain.

We came up with a billboard, two transit posters and some long-copy newspaper ads.

Unfortunately we tied the incumbent so we didn't win the business – but we had fun trying!

Client: City of Toronto

Objective: Creative Pitch to inform the citizens of Toronto of the upcoming pesticide ban.

Target: Citizens of Toronto

Media: OOH (billboard & transit shelter posters) and newspaper ads

Winner’s Circle Rewards – Newsletter Covers

Every year the OLG sends newsletters to members of their Winner’s Circle Rewards Slots & Casinos loyalty program. Until the Spring 2012 edition, we've found a way to incorporate slot icons into a seasonal setting for each cover. That Spring we started to come up with ways to tie the Winner’s Circle rewards card into the scene, not only driving home the the program’s branding but also serving as a visual cue to remind members to use their cards when playing at the sites.

We pick up visuals from the covers and use them throughout the newsletter.

Here are a few cover examples.

Client: Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corp.

Target: Members of the Winner’s Circle Rewards Loyalty Program

Media: Newsletters

Canada Post B2B Direct Mail – Tim & George Menu

Canada Post routinely communicates with Canadian Marketers in order to remind them how effective direct mail can be on it's own as well as when used as part of their marketing plans.

We developed a multi-year campaign that featured Tim & George, Canada Post Direct Mail experts. Tim & George were the tour guides used to point out the various features and benefits of DM.

For this mailing we needed to highlight how combing DM with existing media channels improved the results of the campaign. We came up with a menu idea where we printed the letter inside followed by some tasty benefits, then the list of mains: Unaddressed Mail, Addressed Mail and the Smart Data Cleaner. The combo feature highlighted the effect of added DM to digital efforts. We even had a special testimonial added.

Client: Canada Post Corporation

Objective: Create a direct mail piece that highlights the benefits of adding DM to other media channels

Target: Canadian businesses

Media: Direct mail

Canada Post – Think Inside the Box Event Invite

Canada Post hosts a series of events called 'Think Inside the Box – Ideas that will expand your mind'. For 2009 we produced a special direct mail package to invite marketers to this national event.

 

We designed an over sized envelope that looked like a medical folder, not unlike the kind you might find in a doctor's office. We marked it with a 'X-ray film – do not bend' warning along with the recipient's name and address on the reverse side.

Once opened, they found an x-ray of an expanded skull along with an invite and schedule designed to look like a medical form that had been filled out. Trevor Nelson at Three in a Box created the Brainiac x-ray image for us.

Certainly a piece of mail that was hard to ignore.

Client: Canada Post Corporation
Objective: Create an invitation for Canadian marketing conference
Target: Canadian marketers
Media: Direct mail

Responsible Gambling Council – AWOL Friend Print Ads

Along with the TV & cinema spot, John Bar and I developed a series of print ads and posters for post-secondary schools and campus pubs for the Responsible Gambling Council. Helping to inform young adults of the dangers of problem gambling and the effects that it has on friends.

Mark Olson shot all the photography for us and handled the retouching as well.


Client: Responsible Gambling Council
Objective: Develop a campaign to enlighten young adults to problem gambling
Target: Young adults
Media: Posters and ads in campus publications.

Winner's Circle Rewards – Quick Draw 21 Promotion

Following on the heels of the success of the Find Yer Fortune promotion was Quick Draw 21. We took the members of OLG's Slots & Casino loyalty program: Winner's Circle Rewards to the Old West.

Once again, we sent direct mail to all the members. This time we had 9 random 'playing cards' printed on each piece. For 21 days, the members could bring in their card and scan it to add it to the house's card. If they hit 17-21 they won a prize. Even non-winning cards gave members an entry in a second chance draw.

At the sites, we had posters, danglers as well as prize cards. We also gave members coded playing cards that they could take home and play with online. Jason Edmiston at Three in a Box produced all of the rustic illustrations – and was a real pleasure to work with.

We even had mirror clings made to be hung in the washrooms. The patrons could see their faces reflected in our wanted posters.

All in all, another successful promotion for the Winner's Circle.


Client: OLG
Objective: Develop a theme for a fall promotion and create a campaign to promote it.
Target: Visitors to OLG's Slots & Casinos
Media: Direct mail and POS

Winner's Circle Rewards – Find Yer Fortune Promotion

Find Yer Fortune was a previous Fall promotion for the OLG's Slots & Casino loyalty program: Winner's Circle Rewards. This project was a great example of an entire team getting behind a concept and working together to make it great. From our initial pirate themed concept presentation, the agency's account team as well as the client got behind this and stayed the course through production. Once it was rolled out to OLG's Slots and Casino locations, the frontline staff helped to bring this promotion to life. Who wouldn't love to play a pirate!

We had a very tight timeline to produce all the elements of this promotion. George Angelini from Shannon & Associates was able create fantastic illustrations for us despite the crunch.

We created awareness of the promotion with a direct mail piece followed by various POS elements such as the standees fighting over a treasure chest filled with doubloon vouchers, kiosk toppers, danglers and posters.

Both the OLG patrons and staff really got into the spirit of the promotion. It was a great success!


Client: OLG
Objective: Develop a theme for a fall promotion and create a campaign to promote it.
Target: Visitors to OLG's Slots & Casinos
Media: Direct mail & POS

Mighty Millionaire Progressive Slot Bank Logo

I was fortunate enough to get a chance to develop a logo for a new progressive slot machine brand for the OLG. This would tie a number of different types of slot machine games together to build a progressive jackpot. The name 'Mighty Millionaire' was already selected so I created the Mighty Millionaire character. The final character illustration was done by Drew Pierce from Famous Frames.

First Sketch

Let's add some 'mighty'

Maybe a skinny tie?
Maybe not.

Client: OLG
Objective: Logo Design for a new progressive slot machine bank.
Target: Visitors to OLG's Slots & Casinos
Media: Signage

National Lifeguard Redesign

The Lifesaving Society's National Lifeguard certification is Canada's professional lifeguard standard.

This year the Lifesaving Society asked me to redesign the logo for their lifeguard training program. 

They wanted something modern, but timeless enough to last for years and since their participants are teens, it had to be something they would be willing to wear on duty and at competitions too. They now have a vigilant (unisex) guard watching over an aquatic title with a bold maple leaf behind.The leaf has a subtle arc, simulating a splash.

Client: Lifesaving Society
Objective: Refresh brand identity
Target: Teenage participants and corporate sponsors