Recent Projects
Walt Disney World
Aulani Direct Mail
Okay, the header here is a bit misleading when you’re looking at what looks like a book. But to be fair this project DID begin as a direct mail piece.
Many ideas were presented but the client chose “book”. One of the wonderful things about working with WDW is that good ideas are given the room, budget, and nurturing to grow so that they become everything they are meant to be.
This book idea spread like wildfire and what was initially supposed to be a simple direct mail became a full-on story book already in it’s third edition.
It features a dust jacket that unfolds into a mini offset poster, custom ordered French Paper throughout, tone-on-tone foiled fabric casebound cover — and a hidden mickey!
Wonderfully written by Scott Ritchey with interior pages illustrated by Joe Rohde (SVP of WDI). He set the tone for what the Menehune should look like for Aulani. We collaborated on the black and white sketches for the book that I later manipulated in photoshop to create the distinct look. Add in some carefully considered sweet typography and the book is a joy to read.
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Walt Disney World
Aulani VIP Press Invite
Possibly one of the more important group of folks in the Disney-sphere are the external travel writers and reviewers. This group is certainly clever, and I can only imagine, after receiving gift after gift from every resort, jaded. They receive fancy invites and gifts constantly!
My goal was to shake things up... Disney style.
The basics: Aulani is a new Disney resort in Hawaii. It is luxurious. It is replete with authenticity and cultural sensitivity. It isn’t a character-fest, although the touches of Disney character are extremely well done.
Advanced: The Menehune. Menehune are part of Hawaiian legend and lore. A small magical being prone to mischief and general mayhem (think Leprechaun.) Imagineering has incorporated the Menehune into the Guest experience in many ways.
I decided to incorporate the Menhune into the invite. Both as an homage to traditional Disney storytelling and to introduce the little guys to the media.
And pitching to Disney Yellow Shoes creative executives that we “send the media ‘nothing’” was just FUN!
Here is how it worked: We send the recipient a box containing a gift. The writer opens the outer box and sees a mess inside and notices the box smells wonderfully of Plumeria* —the flower of Hawaii. The first thing they read is the save-the-date card announcing the dates and core information, a website to go to, and that their ‘keepsake’ is safely ensconced in the enclosed gift box. When they go to open their gift box they see the bellyband is ripped and the packing material is all askew — and there is no gift. It’s clearly missing. Raising a suspicion that will pay off by making the Guest part of the Menehune story... The card instructs them to go to a website if they have any questions about the dates or their “keepsake.”
The website proudly displays (essentially) “if you are here, it’s because your gift was missing - It turns out THE PESKY MENEHUNE HAVE STOLEN THE GIFTS!. Fear not your gift has been recovered and it is safely waiting in your room.”
Upon arrival the gift is eventually revealed and lives up to the wait: A custom Vinylmation figure, hand-painted by Hawaiian artists. An item that combines highly valued Disney memorabilia with the culture and authenticity of Hawaii.
* The guest discovers by exploring the website that Menehune love Plumeria and when the odor is strong, it’s a sure sign they’ve been around.
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Walt Disney World
Sales Award
The Earmarked Award is a program rewarding top travel package sales agents around the world.
Typically the award recipient gets a beautiful trophy, or in years past a lithograph. I was approached by Disney's Yellow Shoes Marketing to come up with an idea that broke the current stream of amazing, but predictable awards.
The idea I came up with was to give these travel agents something only DIsney could. Something unique. I believed we could deliver something that would be truly cherished.
I proposed something that hadn't been done before: Award the people who bring Guests to Disney, by bringing a piece of Disney to them.
The 2010 Earmarked award was an ACTUAL part of Disney.
ToonTown to be specific. Rife with history and heart, toontown was the perfect choice.
The Star of the show, and the actual gift/award is the heart. Each heart was actually reclaimed from the attraction at Walt Disney World. Each heart is uniquely distressed and many varied in size and color.
Also enclosed with the award was also a personalized congratulations from ToonTown resident, Minnie Mouse!
The award featured a custom carved wooden pedestal.
Aulani Direct Mail
Okay, the header here is a bit misleading when you’re looking at what looks like a book. But to be fair this project DID begin as a direct mail piece.
Many ideas were presented but the client chose “book”. One of the wonderful things about working with WDW is that good ideas are given the room, budget, and nurturing to grow so that they become everything they are meant to be.
This book idea spread like wildfire and what was initially supposed to be a simple direct mail became a full-on story book already in it’s third edition.
It features a dust jacket that unfolds into a mini offset poster, custom ordered French Paper throughout, tone-on-tone foiled fabric casebound cover — and a hidden mickey!
Wonderfully written by Scott Ritchey with interior pages illustrated by Joe Rohde (SVP of WDI). He set the tone for what the Menehune should look like for Aulani. We collaborated on the black and white sketches for the book that I later manipulated in photoshop to create the distinct look. Add in some carefully considered sweet typography and the book is a joy to read.
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Walt Disney World
Aulani VIP Press Invite
Possibly one of the more important group of folks in the Disney-sphere are the external travel writers and reviewers. This group is certainly clever, and I can only imagine, after receiving gift after gift from every resort, jaded. They receive fancy invites and gifts constantly!
My goal was to shake things up... Disney style.
The basics: Aulani is a new Disney resort in Hawaii. It is luxurious. It is replete with authenticity and cultural sensitivity. It isn’t a character-fest, although the touches of Disney character are extremely well done.
Advanced: The Menehune. Menehune are part of Hawaiian legend and lore. A small magical being prone to mischief and general mayhem (think Leprechaun.) Imagineering has incorporated the Menehune into the Guest experience in many ways.
I decided to incorporate the Menhune into the invite. Both as an homage to traditional Disney storytelling and to introduce the little guys to the media.
And pitching to Disney Yellow Shoes creative executives that we “send the media ‘nothing’” was just FUN!
Here is how it worked: We send the recipient a box containing a gift. The writer opens the outer box and sees a mess inside and notices the box smells wonderfully of Plumeria* —the flower of Hawaii. The first thing they read is the save-the-date card announcing the dates and core information, a website to go to, and that their ‘keepsake’ is safely ensconced in the enclosed gift box. When they go to open their gift box they see the bellyband is ripped and the packing material is all askew — and there is no gift. It’s clearly missing. Raising a suspicion that will pay off by making the Guest part of the Menehune story... The card instructs them to go to a website if they have any questions about the dates or their “keepsake.”
The website proudly displays (essentially) “if you are here, it’s because your gift was missing - It turns out THE PESKY MENEHUNE HAVE STOLEN THE GIFTS!. Fear not your gift has been recovered and it is safely waiting in your room.”
Upon arrival the gift is eventually revealed and lives up to the wait: A custom Vinylmation figure, hand-painted by Hawaiian artists. An item that combines highly valued Disney memorabilia with the culture and authenticity of Hawaii.
* The guest discovers by exploring the website that Menehune love Plumeria and when the odor is strong, it’s a sure sign they’ve been around.
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Walt Disney World
Sales Award
The Earmarked Award is a program rewarding top travel package sales agents around the world.
Typically the award recipient gets a beautiful trophy, or in years past a lithograph. I was approached by Disney's Yellow Shoes Marketing to come up with an idea that broke the current stream of amazing, but predictable awards.
The idea I came up with was to give these travel agents something only DIsney could. Something unique. I believed we could deliver something that would be truly cherished.
I proposed something that hadn't been done before: Award the people who bring Guests to Disney, by bringing a piece of Disney to them.
The 2010 Earmarked award was an ACTUAL part of Disney.
ToonTown to be specific. Rife with history and heart, toontown was the perfect choice.
The Star of the show, and the actual gift/award is the heart. Each heart was actually reclaimed from the attraction at Walt Disney World. Each heart is uniquely distressed and many varied in size and color.
Also enclosed with the award was also a personalized congratulations from ToonTown resident, Minnie Mouse!
The award featured a custom carved wooden pedestal.
