client:
graphic communication society of oklahoma

goal:
increase entries in annual design competition

background:
design and advertising competition Call for Entries pieces are usually showcases for artistic vision -- an elaborate illustrative, photographic or graphic tour de force to satisfy the ego of the creator. This campaign was designed to stand out in a crowded field. The client's show competed with four other competitions locally and several strong regional shows. Past Calls for Entries consisted of a large full-color poster with rules and information printed on the back. A sample entry form and manifest were printed on the back, for photocopy reproduction by the entrant. The poster was then rolled and placed in a tube for mailing. Local suppliers provided the printing and paper free of charge in return for a printed credit. The only hard costs for the program were postage and mailing tubes.

specifics:
for the first time, the rules and information were removed from the back of the poster and printed in a separate booklet, allowing the poster to function as a poster promoting the event when hung in offices. The poster was specifically designed to be folded, so it could be placed in an envelope along with the entry materials. Instead of requiring the entrant to photocopy duplicate entry forms and manifests, multiple carbonless forms were provided. The poster design

eschewed the traditional "Call for Entries" message in favor of a simple whimsical instruction. The postage costs to mail this more robust entry package were slightly higher than previous years, but eliminating the cost of the mailing tubes used for the rolled posters more than offset the difference, resulting in a net savings.

results:
40% increase in the number of entries over previous four-year average, plus a hard cost savings