Andrew Kelsall | Graphic Designer | Logo, Poster and Large-Format Print Design

Image Copyright: Clippa

Here is a list of 10 different types of paper-clips that can bear the name of your company or organization. Promotional aids like this make excellent marketing aids as they are likely to stay on a potential clients desk — with your logo in plain sight. They can either be used to hold a few sheets of paper together when posting marketing material, for example, or just available for people to see when reviewing your quotation, etc.

Some of the paper-clip concepts below are more cost-effective than others, but used correctly in any excellent marketing strategy, they can be a valuable tool. In no particular order, here are some of my favorite design-concepts that I myself would consider using:

The Mark Clip from Papircsipesz. Their site states: “The Markclip is ideal for displaying your logo or corporate name colourfully and stylishly. Attach your own Markclip to all outgoing post to ensure your daily correspondence and printed matter attract valuable extra attention.”

Promotional Magnetic Clips from Adco Marketing . Examples above include promotional clips for the World Wildlife Federation.

Jumbo Printed Paper-clips from The Print Warehouse. These clips are a cost effective way to promote any business effectively.

These promotional paper-clip from Cherokee Sky can be made using a custom mould for two colors. Being 10.5cm long, they’re another alternative in any marketing campaign.

Giant Paper-clips by 4imprint. Logos and marketing material can easily be printed onto the faces of these cost-effective clips.

A selection of Printed Ad-Clip Paperclips, again from The Print Warehouse. These promotional clips are available in a range of colors — and can also be purchased with personalized printed boxes.

Examples of aluminium or stainless steel Wingclips from BizClips. These prestigious-looking paper-clips are great for marketing purposes — but at a more premium price.

Heart-shaped plastic paper-clips by Ad Promotional Gifts. These examples for Ashland and Nike display how these items can be used for marketing.

Promotional Blu-Note clips from FortePromo. Their site states: “ [This] Multipurpose clip can be used to draw attention to photos, hold stacks of papers, or can be attached to a larger gift with a personalized card or note clipped underneath”.

Again from BizClips, these Shaped Wingclips are custom-shaped to meet individual requirements. I doubt that anyone would ever throw one of these beauties away.

Have you had your logo printed onto a custom paper-clip shape or design? Did you see an increase in responses from a marketing campaign that utilized them?

This article is dedicated to the Blog Action Day Poverty Fund as part of the Jacob Cass Group Writing Project, together with a PayPal donation. The proceeds go directly to the fund to help stamp out World-wide Poverty. You can visit the official Blog Action Day site here.

Now, for the article…

Image copyright here

A few years ago, when I left the Coventry University School of Art and Design, England, I landed a freelancing contract just a few days after returning home. How? I quite literally spammed some design companies!

STAGE 1: POSTING TINS WITH NO EXPLANATION

The first stage of this marketing campaign was very simple. I posted out empty tins/cans of SPAM meat in the post. After eating the SPAM (it tastes OK on a sandwich — there’s millions of staving people out there, I wasn’t going to waste it), I targeted a few design companies that I would like to work for and stuck a stamp directly onto the cans with their addresses and posted them. Yes, that was it. Just an address with no explanation on the tins.

I repeated this process over several days, until each company I targeted received about 5 tins through the post. Here in the UK, if you post something with a stamp on it, and it’s not hazardous, the ‘posty’ has to deliver it, so the SPAM got through okay.

My hope was for staff at the targeted design companies to ponder the meaning of the SPAM tins. I hoped it would create discussion between team members, with bemusement with each and every can posted to them. I anticipated reactions like this:

What the heck is this? Another tin of SPAM…this is the third one this week! What’s it all about?

Hay you guys, does anyone know who posting this SPAM? If someones playing a joke on me, which one of you is it?

Well, I found out later than I did promote discussions like this…read on…

STAGE 2: POSTING A SPAM-BRANDED FOLDER WITH MY CV

After I had finished posting of the SPAM cans, I waited a day or two, then sent out a folder showing a tin of SPAM on the cover stating “You’ve Been Spammed” (shown in the image below).

The folder was about A5 in size and opened up like a four-page brochure.

When opened, my covering letter and CV (printed on A4 paper) were folded in half and tucked inside the mock-up SPAM can, as shown in the three images below.

This folder was designed to put to rest all discussions and curiosities surrounding my “Spamming Campaign”. My covering letter contained this text:

Title in Spam-Shaped box at top simply said: What?

Dear Sir/Maddam

I am a recent graduate from the Coventry University School of Art and Design seeking employment. As a former student, I’m hard-up and living off SPAM — so your Post-Box has been Spammed rather than your In-box to let you know who I am!

Ok, I’m not really living off SPAM, but I am looking for a job in a company such as yours in this region. I believe that I could be a benefit to you and your clients…[and so on].

STAGE 3: THE JOB OFFER

Well, those curious reactions I was banking on to land me a job was a reality. I was invited to do various free-lancing work at Wobble Design Ltd in Leeds, UK. When I went to work there on the first day, the design team told me the reason I got the job was for my ingenious marketing campaign. They said they were curious to the reasons they was receiving my little empty cans of tin meat, and it promoted many discussions between them and the architecture firm next door!

So, if you’re wanting to stand out from the crowd, be different and do something unusual. If you want a Graphic Design or any other job, just be creative, be different and set yourself apart from the crowd. You never know where it will lead you.

But if you’re fed-up with hearing about SPAM, heres a lovely photo for you instead. Enjoy!

Image copyright here

Have you marketed yourself in an outreagous manner? If so, did it get you anywhere? I’d like to hear your stories…

I was tasked by Gavin Evans, a driving instructor based in Hemsworth and Elmsall, West Yorkshire (UK) to design a logo and marketing designs for his Instructor Training Business named Gavin Evans Driver Training (or G.E.D.T). Basically, Gavin takes pupils and teachers them to drive and even does advanced motorway training courses.

After discussing his requirements, we settled on a logo design based upon a shield motif with the initials G.E.D.T incorporated into it. The image above shows this design in its print-formation (I’ll get to that next).

I initially suggested a shield-based design to Gavin, as shields represent strength, authority and stability — all positive aspects of what a Driving Instructor could possibly convey to any potential pupil.

The great thing about this logo is the varied configurations that it can possess. The image above displays an alignment that is more fitting for limited horizontal space (such as when on the bonnet of the car).

I used the logo design to design an advertisement (above) which featured in the Thompson Local (advertising directory) to both sustain and promote his growing business. As can be seen, the logo configuration I used here also coined the tag-line A Flair for Success.

This tag-line was used on all marketing and promotional material for Gavin’s Driver Training Business. The car print displayed above shows some of the general layout and colour-scheme of one of the two cars he has used to instruct pupils in. The sides of the car display his web-site address and other information.

The flyer design (postcard) shown above was printed onto 350gsm gloss-card and distributed throughout local areas around Hemsworth and Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

I also designed some business cards for Gavin printed onto the same type of card. The photo above shows one of the glossy cards, with the flyer (pamphlet) design in the background.

I also branded a web site design for Gavin, which is a place where potential pupils can contact him. The site displays his pricing structure as well as photos and other relevant information. Visit Gavin Evans Driver Training to take a look.

Recently, Gavin asked me to design some marketing material for the franchise side of his business. I suggested to him that it would be a great idea to segregate the two sides of the business with a different colour-scheme, with orange/grey being the most attractive and meaningful. As orange is associated with optimism, it ended up being chosen simply because it worked well and looked great.

Again, I designed a flyer for Gavin which is to be printed soon. This design is currently being used for various online publications on the internet.

If you run a Driver Training Business and would like me to work with you on a logo design, marketing, promotion and car print (livery print design), please contact me for details.

What do you think about these designs? I’d like to hear your opinions…