Project Limitations [at their best!]
So it’s about 9:30pm and I’m finishing up a business card design for a client that I’m to see at tomorrow’s business expo . . . sigh of relief (it’s done!) and a momentary slouch back in my chair. When I get to thinking about my own networking efforts . . .I realize that, due to a recent change in primary phone number, my own business cards have just been rendered useless! A quick mental checklist of options (call printer frantically, use my desktop printer, give cards the old “Sharpie” treatment . . .) comes up with no really satisfying options.
What does one do with no time? I remember the rubber stamp I have of my logo, which, thanks to it’s design, happens to be the right size and shape for a business card. Next up: stock, stock, stock . . . I don’t have anything heavy or rigid enough on hand, and a few tests on the different paper I do have around are unremarkable at best. Damn.
Enter: happy accident
It just so happens that I’ve got a pile of cardboard recyclables that I’ve been meaning to take out. Boxes include a number of household brand names and happen to be great card stock. Excellent.
One part rubber stamp + one part cereal box = brand magic!
Three hours, a dozen or so boxes and one case of carpal tunnel later I’ve got about 100 “logo cards” (which works for me, because a Google search of my company’s name brings you right to my site). Stamped cardboard on one side, glossy, well-branded packaging fragments on the other.
Reader, I’ll tell you; I was happy!
Then I thought about how best to squeeze every bit of branding juice out of these little morsels–which gave me an idea for a promotion . . .
These cards each have a portion of a package on them. So I figure, the promotion goes as follows: You pick up one of my cards at the expo, you identify the brand your card was snipped from, send it to me at this address, and I’ll personally drop off that brand’s product along with my new, up-to-date card, right to your office.
Just a note: there ARE a few trimmed from a box of Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies . . . I’d look for those if I were you!
In review, what did my project limitations get me? They got me thinking outside the . . . actually, ABOUT the box. They got me a noteworthy (for better or for worse) piece to hand out at the expo, which the right people (i.e. the type of people I’d like to work with) will understand. And they got me a promotion which is free if it doesn’t work, and well worth the meeting (and box of cereal or cookies) if it does.
Not bad for a three-hour turnaround!
The best part about all of this is that I’ll finally get to test my theory that your business card can function (and might even be more intriguing) without all the “clutter” information (fax #, multiple phone lines, street address, etc.). For me, this has become an exercise in simplicity.
I’ll let you know how it went in a week or two . . . in the mean time, anyone want to go on record with a guess?
