A Conversation with Courson
The BTE Eccentron is a one of a kind eccentric resistance strength trainer. When we received word that NFL running back, Todd Gurley, attributed it to his quick recovery after he tore his ACL at the University of Georgia, we knew we had a great story on our hands. During The 2016 National Athletic Trainers Association Clinical Symposia, we recruited both Gurley and his athletic trainer, Ron Courson - UGA Director of Sports Medicine, to come to Baltimore and share their experience in detail during a private event that we hosted at Camden Yards.
Client
BTE
Skills
Art Direction, Print Design, Branding
The Challenge
Our event was competing with a variety of other conference events that were planned that night. We had to convince an invitee list that included athletic trainers from MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA, and major University teams to not only attend an event hosted by a company they were likely unfamiliar with, but also forgo the other events that were taking place that night. In short – I knew we couldn't just send a standard letterhead invitation.
The Solution
I developed an invitation with a high-end look and feel – something that felt like it was for the event of the year. Thinking of every detail from the twine and wax seal to the stock and the hand written name on the envelope, resulted in an invitation to an event that felt exclusive & something that could not be missed.
The Results
The night was a huge success. We were able to fill the room with athletic trainers from major organizations and share the BTE story in a memorable way.
Early explorations
I immediately gravitated toward a vintage baseball theme. With a guestlist of athletic trainers ranging from 40-60+ years old, I thought the nostalgia of the vintage-esque design would play well. I tried a variety of type treatments and actually landed on quite a mix, but they all coalesced into a final look that supported the "retro" design.
Catering to my audience
I was well aware that the people on our guest list didn't know who BTE was, but they were familiar with Ron Courson. So, I made Ron the focus of the piece and downplayed the BTE brand with the understanding that, if successful, it would pay dividends in the long run.
These invitations are very much a modern take on a vintage look. As a company, our goal was to do our best to ensure that every invitee at least read the invitation, therefore, making my goal to create something that would peak their curiosity and compel them to open it.
The wax seal was an important element to establishing that airs of exclusivity. This was easily the most time consuming part of the whole process, but based on our response rate it was well worth it.
