Every season has its whirl of A List social and corporate events. Some are tony, like Art Basel Miami Beach, others make for great storytelling (“Did I tell you about the time I played poker with Warren Buffett?). But they all have one thing in common: The highly coveted invitation that beckons the recipient to an exclusive event. Every memorable shindig starts with an impressive, elegant or unique invitation.
Works of Art
UBS, which provides financial advice and solutions to affluent, institutional and corporate clients, has been the lead partner of Art Basel Miami Beach since its inception in 2002. Art Basel stages three art fairs each year in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong to showcase artworks by established and emerging artists for attendees that include collectors, critics and officials from museum and art institutions around the world.
Publicis North America created a packet that UBS sent to clients with portfolios of at least $10 million that included tickets to Art Basel Miami Beach 2007; an itinerary for the company’s guests; an invitation to a cocktail reception; and a 16-page program of show-related conferences and events. The stock used for the outer packaging and its contents was 111# Curious Touch Soft Milk cover, manufactured by Arjowiggins Creative Papers, which has a rubbery enamel feel. A quote from artist Lucian Freud was embossed into the cover of the packet.
The outer package was embossed, debossed and screen printed in 3 pms colors and black; the tickets and invites were also screen printed in 3 pms and black; and the 16 page guide were offset printed in 2pms colors. A gloss UV coating was applied to the outer package and its contents.
highresolution printing produced 5,000 of the invitation packets and contents, with a turnaround time of three weeks.
NetJets, which sells fractional aircraft ownership to businesses and individuals, has also sponsored Art Basel Miami Beach since 2002. AgencySacks asked us to produce an invitation to the 2014 show that would be sent to NetJets owners or those who purchased a Marquis Jet Card.
We used Curious Skin Violet cover for the exterior of this sumptuous invite and hot stamped a design reminiscent of brush strokes in light violet onto the stock, along with a quote from artist Edgar Degas in white. We added a gloss effect with clear foil stamping, but the design didn’t pop as much as we’d have liked it to and didn’t feel as smooth as we wanted it to be. So we silk screened a clear UV over the design to get the desired look-and-feel.
The interior, which was 4/0 on Mohawk Superfine 80# Cover, was mounted to the exterior and die-scored and folded to 6” x 6”. The invitation was slipped into a Fucshia Pink Colorplan envelope with Euro flaps.
highresolution printed 3,000 invites and envelopes, and delivered them to AgencySacks in two weeks.
Action Card
Because NetJets is owned by Berkshire Hathaway, another customer perk is an invitation to Warren Buffet’s annual poker tournament in Las Vegas. Players who finish in the top 10 get to fly home with some serious swag from one of the sponsors of the event—for instance, a trip to Scotland’s Skibo Castle (once the home of industrialist Andrew Carnegie) and a barrel of Dalmore single malt whiskey.
As with a variety of projects highresolution has done for NetJets, the invitation to the 2014 tournament 64 point made of four layers of 120# Mohawk Vellum cover specifically made for digital printing mounted together. In the original design, a stack of poker chips would be embossed on the front of the two-sided invitation, but the thickness of the paper precluded that option so we suggested printing the chips on the same stock, die-cutting and hand-gluing to the invitation. After seeing prototypes, the client chose this option.
The invitation itself was hot stamped and round cornered. Those who RSVP’d that they would attend the tournament received a 4” x 6” 16-page + cover itinerary booklet that matched the invitation. The text of the itinerary was printed on 100# Finch Fine, with the cover printed on matching 100# cover.
We produced 4,500 invitations and 575 booklets (275 of which included the stack of chips mounted on the cover), with a turnaround of three weeks for the invitation and four working days for the itinerary.
Glitterati
This origami style invite is die cut, multiscored and hand folded with 21 creases to create the shape of a cut diamond, and glued onto an outer envelope custom made from 92# Gmund Bier Bock cover hot stamped with copper foil and hand folded. This textured paper, which incorporates recycled hops sourced from breweries, gives the outer envelope has a thick, earthy feel. As you open the flaps, you “unearth” the diamond. Unfolding the diamond reveals the time, place and other event details copper foil stamped on the interior.
This concept was used for invitations to several Diamond In The Rough events at which new jewelry designs were presented to the media, as well as to select customers and affiliate retailers. This is a very time- and labor-intensive production, so highresolution die cut 2,500 blank origamis and produced an equal number of outer envelopes and kept them on hand until each new event was planned, and finished the required number of invitations.
high resolution works with designers, agencies and their clients to produce invitations that rise to the occasion.